Now, though, Verstappen has started more than 200 Grands Prix. He’s already inside the top 20 all time.
Only three drivers on the current grid have made more appearances. And Verstappen is 10 years younger than Nico Hulkenberg – the driver who ranks third on that list.
By contrast, Verstappen’s teammate Liam Lawson is starting his first full season after only 11 races with AlphaTauri/RB. He’s made it clear that he’s ready to offer advice to Lawson, as well as the sport’s other newcomers for 2025.
Max Verstappen told Gabriel Bortoleto what tyres he should use in Australia
Speaking on the Motorsport Netherlands YouTube channel, journalist Ronald Vording shared a telling anecdote from Verstappen’s media briefing at the Chinese Grand Prix.
He says that Gabriel Bortoleto, the F2 champion who’s racing for Sauber this year, is a keen admirer of Verstappen. As he prepared for his debut in Australia, he approached the world champion to ask what tyres he should use.
The heavy rain before the race led some teams to consider the full wets. But the majority went for intermediates.
Verstappen shared Red Bull’s plan with an uncertain Bortoleto, who had qualified an impressive P15. He ultimately crashed in conditions that also caught out some far more experienced drivers.
“Gabriel Bortoleto really looks up to Max Verstappen,” Vording said. “In Australia, after the national anthem, he asked Max what he was going to do in terms of tyres.
“Max said ‘intermediates and you should do that too’. Bortoleto was not so sure. He said ‘are you sure, intermediates?’
“Verstappen told him to go for inters and it will be fine. It’s nice how these guys look up to Verstappen, and Verstappen tries to help them a little bit.”
Something very unusual just happened in Max Verstappen interview at Chinese Grand Prix
Another F2 graduate had a different experience with Verstappen. Kimi Antonelli realised that Verstappen is ‘ruthless’ during a practice session in Mexico, when he spoiled the Italian’s preparation lap to serve his own interests.
Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell has accused Verstappen of bullying his rivals. It’s true that he’s an uncompromising operator inside the car.
But the moment with Bortoleto in Melbourne showed Verstappen’s true colours. He could easily have withheld the information from the nervous Brazilian, particularly as he was starting close to Lawson, but he was willing to help.
Elsewhere on media day, Verstappen agreed with Lewis Hamilton over the proposal to bring V10s back to F1. One journalist was stunned, remarking that the two great champions very rarely see eye-to-eye.
