Ricciardo is the F1 driver I talk about the most in this column.
After leaving F1 last year, he was finally able to return to his hometown to spend a leisurely life while running his own clothing business. He recently opened a pop-up for the brand in Melbourne, the first stop of the new F1 season which will begin this weekend.
Ricciardo's two former teammates, Verstappen and Norris, are both favorites to win the championship this year, but more people are obviously optimistic about Norris. Even when the reporter asked questions, he seemed to have tacitly acknowledged that Verstappen's status as a five-time champion is no longer secure.
Reporter: "After winning so much, are you ready to lose?"
Verstappen: "Of course."
Verstappen still holds a record in F1, a sport that has lasted for 75 years. He joined Red Bull at the age of 17. He is the youngest driver in the history of Red Bull and even F1. At the age of 24, he won the last controversial race in 2021, defeating seven-time champion Hamilton. Since then, F1 has entered the era of Verstappen. No one can catch up with him. Most of the time, Verstappen just sits comfortably in the driver's seat, running lap after lap somewhat lonely until the finish line. As for what happens behind him, it has nothing to do with him.
It was not until the second half of last season that McLaren emerged as a dark horse and caused some trouble for Red Bull. However, Verstappen's dominance on the track firmly attracted the vast majority of young men and women in the world. In this sport where the quality of the car accounts for 70%, people never blame Verstappen for anything. Instead, they would say that the defects of the car have reached a level that even Verstappen's genius cannot cover up.
Verstappen inherited some of his talent from his parents. His father, Jos Verstappen, is a former F1 driver who once partnered with Michael Schumacher, and his mother, Sophie Kuppen, is a famous Belgian karting driver who gave up her dream of becoming a driver after giving birth to Verstappen and his sister. Red Bull team leader Horner once joked that "the only thing that can really slow down Verstappen is his weight."
Verstappen is not a driver I want to support, but I have recently changed my impression of him, so I decided to talk about him. Just as a kind of record. I am very sure that Verstappen is a driver I admire very much now that I am nearly 30 years old and have seen some things in the world. He has the impatient and rebellious side of genius, which often puts him in danger, but - or should I say because of this - his edges and corners are becoming more and more precious in the F1 era dominated by free media.
In his latest interview, Verstappen said almost exactly what Ricciardo said a few years ago. He said his future in F1 will largely depend on whether he finds the new car that Red Bull introduces after the major rule changes in 2026 fun to drive. He doesn't care about having to win a few more world championships to prove himself.
After listening to it, I can’t help but think that no matter where in the world these geniuses are or what kind of cars they drive, they will always be so fearless and uncompromising.
If you are interested in F1, please check out the previous series of articles related to F1 in the column of QIUQI
Curious | The best book about F1 ever
Curious | Zhou Guanyu, on April 21st
Curious｜When we learn about Australia from Ricciardo and Holden
Curious｜Toyota, starting a new adventure in autumn
Curious | F1's lower-tier team Williams believes success is just around the corner
