In his column ‘Overstuur’, Formula 1 romantic and writer Koen Vergeer reflects in his typical style on what preoccupies him during, before, and after the race weekends in Formula 1. This time, he discusses why the great champions are not always the nicest people.
What a tripleheader we have experienced again! With all the trimmings. Racing, duels, pushing and pulling, ‘this guy is dangerous’, penalties, media uproar, everyone against one, red flags, conspiracy theories, rules, and the cherry on top, a fantastic, historic triumph. And a fourth title for Max. In Brazil, in the rain, so the comparison with Ayrton Senna is quickly made. And rightly so, how Max skims through the rain is unparalleled. But it goes much further than that.
Just like Senna, Max has the mentality of an absolute winner. But there’s a downside to that. Just like Senna, Max really can’t lose. So as long as it’s within his power, he will do everything to prevent that. Not winning a race once, that’s possible, but the title… Then the fighter comes out, the less polite, the unpolished. In England, they call that unsportsmanlike. It’s also on the edge and sometimes over it.
Senna sometimes did unwise things
Yes, Senna sometimes did unwise things. Max did that in Mexico too. I’m not justifying it – let the stewards do their job – but one thing just goes with the other. A champion goes through thick and thin. A champion is not afraid to be the bad guy. Senna had that. Schumacher. Max. Norris will never get it. How many points has he not lost this season because he was too nice? Too well-behaved. Not sharp enough. You have to claim your place, overtake, win. In doing so, you might go too far once, against the rules, against the team, even against the whole world. That’s the only way to become a Formula 1 world champion.
Let Max be the bad guy often, it produces the most beautiful races and the most enjoyable racing seasons, with all the trimmings.
