Lewis Hamilton has been the face of Formula 1 for a long time. However, in recent years, Max Verstappen is slowly becoming the future of F1. A couple of days before the Las Vegas GP, the Vegas magazine featured Max Verstappen on its cover page. This has given the indication that Max is now the new face of F1.
Lewis Hamilton came into the sport in 2007. Since then, he has taken the F1 world by storm. He challenged the reigning Champion, Fernando Alonso in his inaugural season, and went on to win his first Championship in his sophomore season. Since then Lewis has won 6 more Championships with Mercedes.
These accomplishments had made him the face of Formula 1. Fans from all over the world would come to Grand Prix just to witness him racing. However, now the tides have changed. For the last 2 years, Max Verstappen has been the driver to beat. He has already won 3 consecutive World Championships and could easily win more.
NEW: A NEW MAX VERSTAPPEN MAGAZINE COVER AND PHOTOSHOOT pic.twitter.com/AoB0a1lJDQ
— Ana 🦁 #V3RSTAPPEN (@maxvcalloway) November 11, 2023
With Max Verstappen winning, he is getting more and more media attention. Before the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was featured in the Vegas Magazine on their cover page. He was also featured in the TIME magazine after his latest exclusive interview with the same.
With Verstappen already having won the 2023 Championship, he now seems to be focusing on building his brand image. For a long time, Max Verstappen was viewed as an aggressive driver. However, that narrative has changed in the last couple of years.
Lewis Hamilton could have an edge over Max Verstappen in Las Vegas GP
During the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, we saw Red Bull suffer with performance for the first time this season. Christian Horner stated that this was simply because the track did not suit the RB19.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is also a street circuit similar to that of Singapore. As a result, the track could prove challenging for Red Bull. This could allow Mercedes to take the win in Vegas. The team did face some difficulties last race in Brazil. But Toto Wolff says that the issue has been identified and resolved.
We saw Mercedes and George Russell narrowly miss out on the race win in Singapore. Carlos Sainz took the victory after playing the long game by giving Lando Norris DRS to help him defend against the Mercedes’ behind him who was on fresher tires.
Max Verstappen features on the cover of the TIME magazine in the 2nd edition for November 🔥#F1 pic.twitter.com/OgiHQSzPe2
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 8, 2023
If Red Bull proves to be weak in Las Vegas, Mercedes will be hoping to take the victory. However, they will face some challenges from the Ferraris and McLarens. For the past few races, Lando Norris has been a regular podium finisher. So if Max Verstappen and Red Bull are taken out of the equation, we could see Lando Norris get that long-awaited win.
A win for Mercedes would be ideal as they face some battles in the WDC and WCC. Lewis Hamilton is chasing Sergio Perez for 2nd place in the WDC. Hamilton is currently 32 points behind the Mexican driver. With 2 races left, a win could help Lewis close the gap considerably. Mercedes are also battling against Ferrari who are chasing them for 2nd place. the gap to Mercedes is only 20 points for Ferrari.
With 2 races left, do you think there will be any change in the top 2 positions of the WCC or WDC? Post your answers in the comments section below.