Max Verstappen may have sealed his first Formula One world title three years ago, but the memories of that electric night in Abu Dhabi still send a jolt through the Red Bull garage.

Sitting alongside team advisor Helmut Marko on Austria’s Sport und Talk TV show, the Dutchman revisited the chaos, the controversy, and the crowning moment that changed his life.

Verstappen, who clinched his maiden championship by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was calm as ever.

The win came five years after his 2016 debut triumph in Spain—a span that transformed the fiery teenager into Formula One’s fiercest competitor.

“I think everyone is the same for me in the end,” Verstappen said when asked which congratulatory message meant the most. “Because I always find it very nice, of course, when someone sends something. But yes, of course, it was a lot.”

“Hamilton Had No Chance”

Helmut Marko didn’t bother hiding his grin as he relived that infamous final lap. “Our team acted sensationally,” said the Austrian, whose influence behind the scenes at Red Bull remains legendary. “Immediately switched to the soft tyres and then, yes, Hamilton had no chance.”

He wasn’t done there. “One must also credit Michael Masi, who wanted to finish the race under racing conditions,” Marko added, defending the then-FIA Race Director’s controversial call. “With IndyCar or NASCAR, for example, there is a rule that they even add a lap so that the race can be finished under racing conditions.

There were five cars in between and he just sent them away, so that you could drive this last lap. It’s like the referee—he has the right, and if he decides like that, then that’s valid.”

Rivals, Not Enemies

If the rivalry with Lewis Hamilton defined the 2021 season, Verstappen insists it ended with mutual respect. “In the end, it was OK,” he said. “Of course, we had our moments and he might have been angry but also we had nice duels… that hurt him, yes, in the last lap, what happened there. But we do have respect.”

It’s the sort of sportsmanship that often gets lost beneath the roar of turbo-hybrids and Twitter spats. But Verstappen’s words carried weight—he’s as blunt as he is brilliant.

The Making of a Champion

Marko, who plucked Verstappen from Formula 3 and thrust him into a Red Bull seat at just 18, still marvels at the gamble that paid off. “Only a year in four-wheeling was definitely a certain risk,” he recalled. “But I knew that we had a great team at Scuderia with Franz Tost.

They did the preparation… and then the next step was almost even bolder. (Daniil) Kvyat, unfortunately, had too many accidents and we brought him to Red Bull Racing—there was an outcry.”

Verstappen repaid that faith instantly. “Your answer was perfect,” Marko said to him on air, “keeping (Kimi) Raikkonen in check for 20 laps with a faster car and better tyres. And, of course, I’m happy that it worked out that way.”

A Future Written in Red Bull Blue

Now 24, Verstappen is firmly at home where he started—under Red Bull’s charging bull. “I am very happy where I am now,” he said. “I hope that we can do this together for another 10, 15 years.”

Marko nodded, proud as ever. “We have the same passion—we want to win. To see him move a car so skilfully at the limit, yes, that warms my heart. We don’t need any criticism or anything, as we are actually always in agreement. These constant improvements, I’m excited to see what’s next.”

Father and Son, Dream Fulfilled

When Verstappen crossed the line that December night, his first thought wasn’t the trophy—it was his father, Jos, the man who built his career with long drives, late nights, and unrelenting belief. “When I got out of the car, of course, I quickly saw him,” he said.

“Everything comes back again, from the go-kart time, where we drove together all over Europe… to win the championship as well. That was maybe 30 or 40 seconds or so, but that was really nice to have my father there.”

The Champion’s Mindset

So how does the champion approach another season? The same way he attacks every corner—flat out. “After the win, I was relieved because that was always my dream,” Verstappen said. “Everything that comes now is a bonus in the end. But I think if I’m back in the first race, then, of course, I want to win again. And when I have the fastest car again, I will do it again.”

That’s Verstappen in a nutshell—calm, ruthless, and relentless. Formula One may have crowned him once, but make no mistake: he’s nowhere near finished.