Ex-world champion Mika Häkkinen doesn’t think Max Verstappen is bored with the current Formula 1 dominance: He himself liked it at the time
With ten wins from twelve races this season, Max Verstappen is dominating the 2023 Formula One season at will. And although his team has won every race this season – and basically never threatened to do so – team boss Christian Horner doesn’t want any suspense as he says he is still recovering from a close 2021 season
This is an attitude that former world champion Mika Häkkinen can completely understand. He believes that even Verstappen himself does not get bored of constantly winning – unlike the fans, as long as they don’t hold it against the Dutchman.
That’s because the Finn still remembers his own heyday in Formula One: “When I won and dominated in 1998 with my team-mate David Coulthard, the year felt fantastic,” the two-time world champion tells ‘RacingNews365’.
“I didn’t find it boring and I’m sure Max feels the same way. He’s not bored and he doesn’t think the races are boring either,” the Finn said.
It would be the same with the fans: The normal spectator might be bored by Red Bull dominance, “but fans of Max think it’s the best thing in the world,” says Häkkinen.
But the latter’s own dominance was nowhere near as strong as Verstappen’s is at present. After winning his first Formula 1 race with McLaren at the 1997 season finale in Jerez, the racing team rose to become the best team in the premier class a year later.
Häkkinen won the first two races of the season in Melbourne and Sao Paulo and finished second in the third race in Argentina. In total, the McLaren driver “only” won eight of the then 16 races of the season and only became world champion in the last race against Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) – for the first time. That also distinguishes him from Verstappen, who already has two titles.
However, McLaren’s title streak lasted only two years back then and was replaced by the Ferrari dominance of Michael Schumacher, who became world champion five times in a row. But just as the Ferrari and later the Mercedes era came to an end, so too will Red Bull eventually be replaced, Häkkinen believes.
“Will it last forever? No, because history repeats itself in that way. Changes will come. When? I don’t know.” But for now, Red Bull and Verstappen deserve their success and are allowed to enjoy it.
