OCTOBER 16, 2023

Verstappen will keep dominating for now says Prost

F1 legend Alain Prost says Max Verstappen's rivals need to prepare for more Red Bull domination.

Recently in Qatar, Dutchman Verstappen became a triple consecutive drivers' champion with five full grands prix still left to run in 2023.

Prost, a quadruple world champion who admitted to L'Equipe that he expects the 26-year-old to eclipse all of his F1 achievements, says Verstappen is still getting better.

When he defeated (Lewis) Hamilton, it gave him confidence in his abilities. That first title made him stronger, after which Max became much calmer while his desire to achieve remained the same, said the Frenchman.

This is a bad sign for his opponents, as he is unlikely to retire any time soon, Prost, 68, insisted.

In the next two years, the regulations will not change, which means Max will retain the same strength. Even in 2026, with genuine unity in Red Bull, they will take on a new challenge and at least remain among the contenders for the championship.

And he warns that even if Red Bull initially does not have the best 2026 package with its own engine, Verstappen will remain motivated.

When I was in Formula 1, the thing I was most worried about was not being able to fight for the title, said Prost.

The worst was 1987 or 1991, when the car wouldn't allow me to do this. I think it will be the same for Verstappen: he will stay motivated not because he wants to win seven titles like Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton, but because he knows that every weekend he can fight for victories.

And that fact, Prost argues, is all Verstappen will need to stay in F1 perhaps beyond his 2028 contract.

"He doesn't have too many hobbies - he's built and born to win. It's a little different from Hamilton, or even from Ayrton (Senna), who had a lot of other things going on.

"It's a little bit of a question mark for the future with Max, but in the next two years in any case, given that the rules are not changing, I do not see too many problems for him.

I then wonder what Red Bull will be like without Verstappen, but that's another story.
(GMM)