vertuoso

Artists tend to evolve throughout their productive life, they adapt, grow, mature, they polish their style to perfection as they become masters of their craft with a unique style. Brazilian Grand Prix was Max's piece of art.

Kevin says that Max has a calmness and overview when racing in changeable conditions. The front driver is racing a line and the other drivers follow suit, then you need someone to do something different, and that someone is Max. That is what makes him stand out, he is not scared. Max has a car that can do something, but so does McLaren, so does Ferrari, so does the other Red Bull, and they are not finding the same grip. Max is so calm and confident, while all the other drivers race under so much stress that they are almost wrecking the steering wheel from pressure. Max has been in control of the World Championship the whole time. Even in Mexico, when even Kevin was surprised by some of his moves. Kevin says Max doesn’t care, he is just trying to secure the World Championship. And Kevin likes that about Max. Maybe the incidents in Mexico were unnecessary, but “why shouldn’t he have done it?” Kevin says it goes against everything inside him to say that Max deserves a penalty for the first incident in turn 4 of Mexico, but it is what the regulations state. About the first Max/Lando incident in turn 4 of Mexico, Kevin says that going around the outside for an overtake attempt like that, would have been considered a “rookie move” in karting. Kevin when showed the second incident between Max and Lando in turn 8 of Mexico: “That’s awesome. The reason why I think it's awesome, is because it is pissing off so many people, they are yelling and screaming, and the FIA is crying about it. Relax. We are driving on shitty tracks. With gravel this would never have happened. Then you gotta make some better tracks. It’s just tarmac. Nothing happens. If there had been gravel, Max wouldn’t even have tried anything.” Kevin says Max’ move in Mexico might have been unnecessary considering the points gap, but he understands why he did it, because Max doesn’t care. He has one goal: to win the championship. And Kevin likes that.

There's always a belief that you can outrun your shadows, that you can stay ahead in the relentless chase. But no one can lead without looking over their shoulder. You spend years perfecting the craft, climbing the mountain, but the moment you reach the peak, the air gets thinner. The chase is where the thrill truly resides, each time getting closer, moments away. But you must reckon with the uncontrollable, the external forces that seek to steer you off your path. It's that experience of being the hunter that reveals that there's nothing more perilous than the hunter understanding the mind of its prey. And once you become the target, the world's gaze shifts from observation to anticipation, waiting for you to crack. Don't get complacent, you can't let your ambition outweigh your talent, because this might just be your one chance.

Trust, judgement and nerve; every driver out there showed plenty of all those qualities in this race where the raw essence of the sport was for once very visible.