Despite the continued dominance of Mercedes and a number of failures through no fault of his own, Max Verstappen generally had a season in which he performed consistently and usually made the top 3 alongside the Mercedes drivers.
Consistent and controlled
Jan Lammers and Christijan Albers have been reflecting on Verstappen's season in their column for Dutch newspapers De Telegraaf. "I found him more mature compared to 2019, more controlled. You notice that he is getting older. Also in his comments and dealings with the press, for example," said Albers.
"During race starts he is often less aggressive, because he knows that a race will last even longer. Of course he has had some bad luck, but he couldn't do anything about it. And he hasn't been frustrated either, despite the dominance of Mercedes. That can happen quickly. Then you push too much and over the limit. No, he actually came across as very relaxed."
Verstappen continues to improve
Lammers agreed. "Max does a little better every year than the season before. I think his returns are unprecedented. I can't imagine a Formula 1 driver in the last sixty years who delivers so consistently. Max is always there. Whether it's a training session or whatever, he almost always gets the most out of it.
"I'm deeply impressed by his driving skills, but also by that frequency of performance. He quickly realized that a world title was not achievable, but realized that he has the best job in the world and drives for a very good team."