Max Verstappen became a Formula One legend last season, running away with the championship in a dominant fashion and smashing records along the way.

This season promises to be a much closer affair as Lando Norris lines up a championship charge that we expect to culminate in an epic final weekend of Formula One In Abu Dhabi. 

As we go into the final stretch of the season and the race for the top spot heats up, we look back on the Max Verstappen's best moments and career wins.

Max Verstappen's Top 5 Best Moments

  1. Spain, 2016 — New Kid on the Block
  2. Austria, 2021 — Championship Challenger
  3. Miami, 2023 — Tyre Tactics
  4. Austria, 2019 — Team Strategies
  5. Abu Dhabi, 2023 — Sheer Dominance

Max Verstappen battles with Nico Hulkenberg in the Miami Grand Prix

5. Spain 2016 — New Kid on the Block

Ah, where it all began. The sunny shores of Barcelona's culture-rich city were the setting for the then baby-faced Max Verstappen's first foray into Formula One, and what a debut it was. 

Taking Torro Rosso by the horns, Max started smashing records from day one and became the youngest-ever racing driver to start a Formula One race at 17 years old in 2015 — a record which is unlikely to ever be beaten due to rule changes stating that drivers must now be 18+ to compete.

But it was the following year when his career really started to take off. After impressive performances for Torro Rosso, he caught the eye of Christian Horner who promoted him to the Red Bull in a move that saw Daniel Kvyat go the other way after his mediocre start to the season. It was time for something new, something fresh, and Max Verstappen was Red Bull's answer.

He made his debut in electrifying fashion, ripping up the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the Spanish Grand Prix to stun spectators and drivers alike. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the leading Mercedes drivers, collided on the fifth corner giving Verstappen the green light to outrace the rest of the pack, including new teammate Daniel Ricciardo. 

In a nail-biting finish, Verstappen used his knowledge of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari engine from his days at Torro Rosso to hold off the former World Champion by tactically blocking him from being able to use his power advantage in the track's danger zones, showing wisdom beyond his years to secure the highest spot on the podium.

He became the name on everybody's lips, a star in the making, and broke the record for the youngest-ever driver to win an F1 race.

 

4. Austria 2021 — Championship Challenger

Despite Max's impressive debut success in Barcelona, Red Bull's machine was far bested over a season by the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari for a number of years. Verstappen had to wait until 2021 for Red Bull to give him a car capable of consistently challenging for the championship.

When the updated RB16 car landed in 2021 with refined gearbox casing allowing for a rear suspension rework to increase downforce, Verstappen had all the tools to challenge and took full advantage.

One of his most dominant performances on his way to his first world title that season was at The Red Bull Ring in Austria, Red Bull's home circuit.

Cheered on by the home crowd at the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen tore up the whole weekend and completed a rare F1 grand slam — pole position, fastest race lap & race win.

His title rival Lewis Hamilton had no answer to his remarkable pace throughout the weekend coming home in 4th place, a massive 46 seconds behind the flying Dutchman.

 

3. Miami 2023 - Tyre Tactics

Two years (and cars) on, Red Bull had improved their magic formula with the RB19, by far the fastest machine in 2023. It was a two-horse race between Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez, but it was the Dutchman who would go on to become the race winner at the Miami Grand Prix through a tactical masterclass.

Max Verstappen suffered and failed to set a time in the final segment of qualifying having been caught out by a red flag that ended the session prematurely on account of Charles Leclerc's crash, meaning Max would slip down to 9th in the grid. A less-than-ideal position for Verstappen in round 5, whose eyes were already fixed on the championship.

A tactical decision from Verstappen to start on hard compound tyres would prove pivotal, allowing him to go longer in the race before being told to box at the expense of grip. Perez, on the other hand, chose to start with softer compound tyres from the pole position on race day and hoped to build a significant lead before switching to the harder compounds.

However, by the time Verstappen had made his way up to second place, he was remarkably only 4 seconds behind his teammate. Max finally made his pit stop on lap 45 and quickly ate into the gap between himself and Sergio Perez on the faster tyre to overtake the Mexican and steal the victory in the closing stages of the chaotic race.

The fact that Verstappen managed to beat his teammate on a contra strategy from 9th on the grid seemingly rocked Perez for the rest of the season, and he looked unlikely to win another race for the remainder of the season. Verstappen had destroyed Perez's title aspirations and took the first win in what would be a ten-win streak over the following Grand Prix weekends.

 

2. Austria 2019 - Team Strategies

Mercedes' Formula One dominance of was reaching its peak in 2019, with Ferrari second best as Red Bull struggled to make up the difference with their less powerful Honda engine. Despite his inferior machine, Verstappen qualified 2nd on the grid alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Austria, on a track where engine power is vital.

On race day, Verstappen had a slow start and found himself in 7th by the end of lap one, making Leclerc the clear favourite to take the win. The Ferrari driver's early battle with Valtteri Bottas took a lot of life out of his tyres, forcing him to pit earlier than Verstappen to give the Dutchman a lifeline. 

Verstappen made his way through the pack gradually into 2nd place, preserving his tyres and playing a long game before pitting late on to get a tyre grip advantage over Leclerc.

On the final lap, Verstappen pressed home his grip advantage to close the gap and overtook Leclerc with a bold and aggressive manoeuvre to take first place and win the Austrian Grand Prix. It was the first time a non-Mercedes driver had won a Grand Prix that season, and Verstappen even lapped his teammate Pierre Gasly in the process to cap an extraordinary win.

 

1. Abu Dhabi 2023 — Sheer Dominance

What better way to round off our top five Max Verstappen moments than 2023's unprecedented season-long domination?

Max blew everybody away and recorded the most dominant season win we've ever seen in the sport's 70-year history, smashing his record of 15 season wins with an extraordinary 19 victories — a sporting feat which looks almost impossible to beat.

After a 23-race season and countless incredible moments, the crowning jewel of Abu Dhabi's final weekend was the stage upon which Verstappen would etch his name into the annals of F1 heritage to become a living legend.

Max thundered home in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a crushing win on all fronts, cementing his place well above his closest rival Charles Leclerc at the top of the table with a grand slam trio of pole position, fastest race lap, and final day race win. We remember it fondly — read our Abu Dhabi review for a full breakdown of our expert's experience over the iconic weekend.

The 2023 season will be remembered by many for some of the most incredible victories including the unforgettable Miami GP (more on that later!) but Abu Dhabi was the cherry on top of the icing of the proverbial cake for the Dutch driver.

Although Max sped away with it in 2023, we're expecting a much closer finish to the season in December 2024 with McClaren's Lando Norris snapping at his ankles with a late title charge. 

Be There In Abu Dhabi!

Want to witness the season finale in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Join celebrity guest Guenther Steiner for a pre-race brunch before immersing in the electrifying atmosphere of the F1 season's apex event with Spectate. Don't miss your chance to have your 'I was there' moment at one of the best F1 tracks and destinations in the world.