Why the clock is ticking for Max Verstappen

When he was 18, Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 race. But he goes into his seventh season in the top flight already too old to beat Sebastian Vettel’s record of its youngest champion.

Verstappen is hardly to blame for that, as Mercedes has consistently produced a car that’s superior to his Red Bull. Max is right to say he can’t force things, but the clock is ticking on ‘his’ time to realise his full potential.

Think back to Lewis Hamilton’s ‘wilderness years’ between his first title in 2008 and the start of his dominant period (Nico Rosberg aside). If Red Bull can produce a true championship-contending car, like it did for Vettel between 2010-’13, then I’ve little doubt that Verstappen will deliver from his side too.

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