Racing driver and F1 analyst Tom Coronel is deeply impressed by what four-time world champion Max Verstappen has shown this season. “The processor in his head has such an overcapacity that he can do things other people can’t,” says Coronel, who is in Las Vegas as an analyst for Viaplay. And: “This is a title Max should never have won.”
Where do you feel Max won this title?
Tom Coronel: “Do you know what’s unique about him? He can win a championship with a car that’s not the best. The way he thinks is very special. He does things and scores points where others drop the ball. Where you as a driver can make the difference, he does it. Think for example of the race in Brazil, but there have been more races like that. Of course, we often thought before a race: ‘This is not going to work with this car, he will finish fifth or sixth at best.’ And then he just finished second and Lando Norris was just behind him, like in Austin for example.”
“Max also has a calm mind. If he thinks: today P5 is the maximum achievable, then it will be P5. He doesn’t suffer from a frustrated ego that starts to play up. He’s just smarter than all those other guys on the grid.”
He now has four world titles, just as many as Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost. If you compare Max with them, has he gradually shifted from a Vettel type to a Prost type, in the sense that he has started to race more calculatedly?
“Yes! Look, at the beginning of his career in Formula 1 he was all-in. All or nothing. And that’s how you have to race, because you have to show what you’re worth. But what I clearly see now is that the processor in his head has such an overcapacity that he can do things other people can’t. Like keeping calm, calculating, thinking, being aware of other things and seeking pressure at the right moments.”
‘Max Makes No Mistakes’
“Max sets the bar high. For himself and the people around him. And it works! Look at how incredibly few mistakes he makes during a season. I may have missed a few, but honestly, I haven’t seen a single one. And that’s so special. And that’s how he wins the championship. This is a world title that Max Verstappen should never have won. Lando Norris should have easily won all the races in the last few months with the car he has. But we’ve seen it, he simply made too many mistakes. And Max makes no mistakes.”
What Does This Say About Next Year? Because You’re Essentially Saying That Max Is Light Years Ahead Of His Competitors On The Grid.
“I think the others can and should learn a lot from Max. They should thoroughly analyze how Max races. And then you copy it and ideally improve it. Analyse to improvise to optimise. Because it can always be better. That’s how the Verstappens think, of course. Jos has a certain way of thinking that not everyone can always understand or appreciate, but it does create a champion’s mindset.”
“Everyone remembers that Max came second in Zandvoort. A tremendous result, really. In fact, we would have been dancing on the tables and popping champagne bottles in the past. But Jos simply said: ‘I’m not going to the podium, he didn’t win’. And that wasn’t because he didn’t think the performance was impressive. But by keeping the pressure on even at times like this, you create a champion. And I find that incredibly impressive.”
Last year, Max Verstappen and Red Bull were superior. Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races. Does this year’s title hold more value than that of 2023?
“Yes, even his harshest critics, the Damon Hills of this world, now recognize that Max is by far the best. The critics who were all talking big two months ago have now kind of woken up. They also realize that Max is not just a racer, but a racing monster. And for racing monster Verstappen, it’s never enough. He always wants more, always better. And I find that amusing.”
‘Jealous of what that guy can do’
“When I look at myself: there is no one in the world who is on a circuit more often than I am. I’ve lived there all my life. And I’m jealous of what that guy can do. Because I sometimes see him do things that I don’t understand. Then I see him make a move during a race and I think: don’t do it, don’t do it, because this can’t be. But then he does it anyway. He is just incredibly special and all those British analysts could have seen that much earlier.”
Max now has four world titles…
“This is just the beginning for him. You know what the thing is? Max has to keep enjoying it all and there is a limit somewhere. But if you provoke him, he only gets better. The moment you start putting pressure on him and throw in the ‘fuck you’ mentality, you’ll get it back in the first round.”
Did Max secretly enjoy this season on the track – with all the duels – more than last year, do you think?
“Definitely! This is much, much more beautiful. He must have often thought: haha, fooled another one!”
“I also understand well that Lando Norris didn’t make it. What you see is that he keeps falling into Max’s traps. And Lando will never become Max, but watch out, he is learning. I always say: you only have each trick to yourself for one month. Because after that, others have caught on. And believe me, Norris is learning fast. Because the harder the blows that Max delivers, the faster Norris learns. Next season will definitely be another spectacle.”
