Valsecchi: Now all of Italy loves Max, we respect Champions

The sport's most enthusiastic and likable driver/pundit Davide Valsecchi revealed how the Red Bull driver earned Italy's collective respect, in the wake of the 26-year-old Dutchman sealing the 2023 F1 World Championship during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Speaking to Dutch publication Formule1, Valsecchi recalled: “Every time the Ferraris had to fight with Verstappen. Sebastian Vettel lost out to Lewis Hamilton in the 2017 World Championship, partly due to Verstappen.

"In Singapore, both Ferraris crashed and who was in between? Right, Max Verstappen. But it wasn't even his fault!” pointed out Valsecchi in his inimitable enthusiasm-packed style.

The Italian referencing the spectacular crash involving Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull of Verstappen, as they powered off the start at the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix. Of course, this irked Tifosi, even though the Dutchman was not to blame.

We reported at the time that Vettel managed a good start, but from fourth on the grid it was Raikkonen that found traction on the damp track and lunged between the wall and Verstappen as his Ferrari teammate drifted to the inside.

The Red Bull was squeezed with nowhere to go and was the meat in the Ferrari sandwich, inevitably there was contact. Raikkonen flew across the track, out of control, rammed Vettel before bouncing across the track and again collecting Verstappen in Turn 1, who in turn tagged Fernando Alonso’s McLaren.

“In Italy, everyone screamed bloody murder after every incident with Verstappen. They complained: Max was too young for Formula 1, not yet ready for the big jobs," recalled Valsecchi.

"What nonsense I thought," continued Valsecchi. "Yes, even then. Everyone in the world dreams of having their own talent. And who is ready at the age of 17? If anyone was ready, it was him. Hell, Max was way better than anyone in the history of Formula 1 at the age of 17.

"And it was part of life that he made mistakes in his first years. Max was a rough diamond that has now been cut to perfection. And now all of Italy loves Max. People realize that he is a great champion. That's typically Italian, we respect Champions.”

Valsecchi, a fine race driver himself, as his 2009-2010 GP2 Asia Series and 2012 GP2 Series Champion title testify is, like most true F1 fans, in awe of Verstappen's achievements: “Max goes like a rocket: boom, boom, boom. It's always a hit, that's how consistent he is. His best qualities are his racing pace, his overtaking and his sharp defending.

"In the past, I have sometimes said that he was not special in qualifying, but that is no longer the case. Every driver you put next to him destroys Max. Every time we think we've discovered a weakness, it's gone the next year. At the moment he is the best driver. These years will become his legacy.

"As a driver, you have to beat Verstappen to win as being the best driver in the best car. That will be an almost impossible task for anyone in the coming years," predicted Valsecchi.

As it stands, after Round 17, the occasion of 26-year-old Verstappen's 180th Grand Prix start, he won his 49th Grand Prix, his 93rd podium and a third F1 World Championship title. And, as Valsecchi forecasts, the end is nowhere in sight.