Formula 1 »Formula 1 | 105 Ovompobedom, Maks Verštapen je stigao do prve titule, ali ujedno sprečio Luisa Hamiltona da dođe do osme, čime bi oborio rekord koji još uvek drži Mihael Šumaher Max Verstappen claimed his first title with this victory, while at the same time preventing Lewis Hamilton from achieving his eighth, which would break the record that’s still held by Michael Schumacher T he new champ i on i s Max Ve rstap p en Pedal to themetal and a finale for the annals Hemade his debut at 17, before he could even formally take his driving test, so he was brought to races by his parents or other relatives. In December, seven years after that debut, he officially became the world’s fastest driver točak, a vršnjaci sa kojima se takmičio kažu da je bio agresivan i pomalo ludna stazi. Nikada se nije povlačio i nikome nije dozvoljavao da ga obiđe. Zato se često dešavalo da trke završi u zaštitnomzidu, bez točka, polomljenog spojlera... Rođen je u Belgiji, ali je posle razvoda roditelja odlučio da ne ostane kod majke, već da se preseli kod oca Josa, koji je Holanđanin. Debitovao je sa 17 godina, pre nego što jemogao da polaže za vozačku dozvolu, pa su ga na trke dovozili roditelji ili rodbina. Zbog ljubavi prema vožnji i takmičenjima Maks je mnogo izostajao iz škole, ali je imao punu podršku svog oca. Ljubav je pronašao u devet godina starijoj Brazilki Keli Pike, ćerki trostrukog šampionaF1NelsonaPikea. Keli se zabavljala sa VerštapenovimkolegomDanilom Kvjatom, sa kojim ima ćerku, a Maks kaže da je sa zadovoljstvomprihvatioulogu očuha. Tek su mu 24 godine, već je najbrži na svetu, a trke MaxVerstappenhadfive andahalfkilometresahead of him inwhich to secure the title of Formula 1 champion in one of the most controversial races ever. And he succeeded! That final lap in Abu Dhabi could be taught in schools as an example of how not to give up. It’s not over until the referee blows the final whistle! During the last race of the season, on the Abu Dhabi circuit, four lapsbeforetheendoftherace,reigningchampionLewisHamiltonhelda seeminglyinsurmountableleadtotallingovertenseconds.ThenNicholas Latifi caused an incident that resulted in the safety vehicle appearingon thetrack.Thisledtotheraceentering anuncertainfinale,inthestyleofthe entire season, and theRedBull driver succeeded in handling the situation better and overtaking the British champion. This young lion from the Netherlands invaded and conquered territory that hadbeen ruled for years byKingHamilton.The seven-time champion eased up on his acceleratorforjustamomentand,at a speed of 300 kilometres per hour, was only able to see the back end of Verstappen’s car crossing the finish line ahead of him. “AtthatmomentIthoughtabout all the sacrifices, all the hardwork of the whole team. I’m grateful to my rival for this breath-taking season. I mean, all of this is probably hurting him, but he still has his seven titles. And I’ve never won,” said Verstappen, revealing what he was thinking about as he began the final lap. Unlike the Brit, about whom practically everything is known, 24-year-oldMax is amystery to the media.Hisfather,Jos,wasalsoaFormula 1 driver, while hismother, SophieKumpen,competedinkarting.It thuscomesasnosurprisethat,even beforehecouldwalk,hewasdestined toonedaybecomethefastestmanon theplanet.Hedroveeverythingthat had at least one wheel, and his contemporaries who competed against him say that he was aggressive and slightly crazy on the track. He never backed down and never allowed anyone to overtake him.That’swhy he often ended races in the crashbarriers, without wheels and with a broken spoiler ... Born in Belgium, he decided not to stay with his mother after his parents divorced, choosing instead to move in with his Dutch father, Jos. He made his debut at 17, before he could even formally take his driving test, so he was brought to races by his parents or other relatives. His love of driving and competitionscausedMaxtomissedalot of school, but he had the full support of his father. He found true love in the form ofaBrazilianladynineyearshissenior: Kelly Piquet, daughter of threetime F1 champion Nelson Piquet. Kelly was previously in a relationshipwithVerstappen’s Russian colleague,DaniilKvyat,withwhomshe has a daughter, and Max says that accepted the role of stepfather with pleasure.Heisonly24andisalready the fastest in theworld, andhis best races are yet to come… Tekst/Words: Aleksandar Pijevac Fotografije/Photography: Profimedia.rs Luis Hamilton je skinut sa trona najbržeg cirkusa /Lewis Hamilton has been dethroned as the king of the world’s fastest circus Foto:Profimedia.rs/Dppi/Panoramic/Bestimage Foto:Profimedia.rs/HochZwei/ZumaPress
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