Yet there is not a chance of complacency, according to Hamilton, who has been wheel to wheel with him more than any other driver. “I don’t think he will slip up,” the Briton said. “He’s a world champion. I wouldn’t question his determination or his focus, he will be just as focused as ever and it is our job to catch up. I think he will be very confident, they developed an amazing car last year and blew away all the records on pretty much everything. I don’t think they were even pushing at the end and they were still way ahead. I don’t see that changing necessarily starting this season.”

On the first runs in the top 10 shootout, Leclerc used scrubbed tyres, as did all other drivers apart from Verstappen, and was slowest. Norris came close to beating Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix earlier this month, with the pair crossing the line ahead of third-placed Fernando Alonso by almost half a minute. The former is yet to secure his first Grand Prix victory but Express Sport readers believe that he could be the one to challenge Verstappen next year if he keeps improving at his current rate. Max Verstappen pictured during the second practice session at the Austrian grand prix on Friday. Photograph: Christian Bruna/EPA I cannot always be super-polite and nice; that’s not how I work,” he explains. “You need to be hard on each other especially in tougher times or when you are not happy with certain things. It works both ways. They tell me, I tell them. You should be able to be criticised and take criticism.”Verstappen is in his seventh season in F1 having made his debut as its youngest driver, aged 17, in 2015. The slight, awkward teenager that climbed into a Toro Rosso has long departed. He has grown up in public and while his features still betray his youth, his confidence and authority is unmistakable. He is a man aware of the import of being in a title fight with the greatest driver of his generation, yet entirely unintimidated. What was considered arrogance by some in his youth is now calm, self-assurance. As the start-finish straight thronged with fans, flags and smoke from red flares, still one of the most stirring sights in motor sport, an echoing chorus of “Carlos, Carlos, Carlos,” boomed between the grandstands. Verstappen might have a remarkable record but they were determined to take all the pleasure they could from Ferrari’s man who had fought so hard. Hamilton is not alone in his appraisal of Verstappen. Lando Norris of McLaren, who grew up admiring the Dutchman when he was in karting and has a strong, friendly relationship with him, believes if anything Verstappen’s dominance is only just beginning. Verstappen said his car was much better in qualifying after some changes and he will start his final race of the most dominant season in history from the front of the grid. The first and only biography of Dutch Formula One wunderkind Max Verstappen, charismatic winner of the 2021 Formula One title.

This sixth constructors’ championship is beyond our wildest dreams, coming into the season I don’t think we could have dreamed of having a season like this,” he said.

Creative Play

To finish on the podium first race of the year is just amazing. What Aston Martin did over the winter to have the second best car on race one is just unreal,” said Alonso. “Hopefully people enjoyed it. We enjoyed it as well, so let’s enjoy it together.”

The rest of the grid has some way to go to come close to matching Red Bull and it must be hoped they do so but this was a title the team thoroughly deserved. They have not only had a mighty car but have been all but flawless operationally, calling races with precision and setting the benchmark for performance at the top level.Not that this comes as any surprise to his team. The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has built the squad around Verstappen since he joined them in 2016 with an incendiary win on his debut in Spain. Red Bull had struggled all weekend with Verstappen’s car to find the right balance and set-up in practice at Yas Marina. Indeed, after practice three they were seven-tenths off the pace. With Mercedes bringing an entirely different design philosophy to their car next season the team principal, Toto Wolff, was also blunt in looking forward to bidding farewell to the W14. “I am happy that was the last qualifying of the season and we are going to come with a new car,” he said, with a similarly hang-dog air as Hamilton.

There are 23 races this season, beginning here in Bahrain and ending in Abu Dhabi in December. It will be a long road to the championship but Verstappen goes in as firm favourite. His car comfortably held the edge over Ferrari and Mercedes in testing, its excess weight long stripped out and honed to Verstappen’s driving style of having a pointy front-end on turn-in. No Hollywood scriptwriter could possibly have envisioned the breathless, adrenaline-pumping climax to the 2021 Formula 1 season. On the very last lap of the final race of an unbelievably arduous and controversial season, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen nervelessly overtook the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to clinch the first place that thrust the young prodigy to the narrowest of victories and to his first World Drivers’ title. He followed up by taking the 2022 and 2023 titles as well. This positive assessment was matched by the Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner. “The pace was good, the strategy was there, it was the best possible start for us. It was a superb race today, get on the board and get some points early.” Behind Norris, Yuki Tsunoda was an impressive sixth in the heavily upgraded Alpha Tauri - the team raising eyebrows up and down the pit lane as to the extent of the number of new parts they have been able to bring this season. However, it was exactly what I needed as a new fan. I don't know a lot about the history of the sport and about how things work and it gave me a thorough introduction.THE FIRST AND ONLY BIOGRAPHY OF DUTCH FORMULA ONE WUNDERKIND MAX VERSTAPPEN, NOW DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION** Although the result looks entirely predictable on paper, within Red Bull there was some doubt as to whether Verstappen could secure pole after a difficult weekend until qualifying.