Max Verstappen: Red Bull figure says further Lewis Hamilton battles could impact Dutchman's career

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has said that similarly intense battles with Lewis Hamilton in the years ahead could shorten Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1, such was the pressure that was on the pair over the course of the campaign.

The two drivers went toe-to-toe from the very beginning of the season as the lead in the championship was exchanged several times.

Indeed, the title fight went right down to the final race and, indeed, the final lap as we well know, with Verstappen eventually claiming the crown just ahead of Hamilton.

A hugely entertaining year, no doubt, but also surely one where the stress levels were at their very highest and Marko has said too many seasons like 2021 will surely shave years off of Max’s career in the sport.

“We were all at the limit,” Marko said. “And you are also much more susceptible to the flu.

“Thank God some people only got the coronavirus after Abu Dhabi, that was good timing.

“And Max also said he couldn’t stand such intensity anymore. He still wants to drive for a while but if that’s the case every year, then it [his career] is limited.”

He makes a good point, though it’s surely unlikely we’ll get a season like 2021 every campaign as its rarity is what made it so compelling.

Hopefully, though, 2022 can still be an entertaining and enthralling year in its own right with the new rules and regulations coming into play.