#when he got to sharl and just knew to wait because sharl had worse balance and wud pit sooner

[supermaks]

max's best drive ever?

Not just Max's, but 1 of the best drives in the history of the sport, definitely 1 of the finest ever driven on the intermediate tire. The way he made those tires perform on a wet resurfaced track where theres no mercy found in the white line, no rubber to build on, no drs, no easy overtake, just better cornering, that natural ability to take turns as if the racing line was drawn in front of him that is so his and so so devastating. People watch Austria and Mexico and c recklessness where theres only strength, control and complete lack of fear. In races like todays tho, u get to admire those same hands command the same respect without any room for doubt that he knows, in fact, what hes doing. Any advantage the machines may provide will dwindle and nearly dissipate because in conditions like todays it truly comes down to who knows better. And Max knew better from the moment the lights turned green. I think six cars before the main straight, dispatched, turned to nothing. When conditions worsened and race control began to play wid outcomes he not only endured, he thrived. While others began to pit he trusted himself to stay out, and he wasnt the only one but he was the 1 who did it best. 8 years ago, Max went and found grip everywhere else, and today, in the same circuit, where there was literally no grip to be found, he simply found the better line. He read the race like his favorite book while others could barely color within the shapes. It was somewhat insane to watch tbh, that disparity between racers, not only found in overtakes like on Oscar and Esteban, so crucial and so similar in the way he just knew how to position the car to catch them completely off guard, but also like, the pace alone, the relentless onslaught of perfect lap after perfect lap, 9 consecutive I think, 17 in total. This was a drive that nearly eclipsed 2023, first shades of last year without Newey in the pit wall, in a car that did so badly in Mexico it was getting outpaced by an Haas in its strongest tire. He didnt just come out from p17, he came out of a 20 second penalty, a 5 second penalty during a delayed VSC, an hammer to his quali chances for a late red flag, community service for swearing, shameless questioning of his driving, his wheel, his credibility as a champion, not just his racing but his character, too. I think its the context of all that that rlly makes the best drive of his career so far, because this was his best possible answer, and the only one that matters. p17 to p1 wid a 20 second lead. Some will reminisce about Senna, some will notice that early corner entry and admit Schumacher himself wud have struggled even a few times, the other legend on track whos as good in the wet didnt have the setup nor the confidence to show it, but I think today was a result only Max Verstappen cud have accomplished