The contrast between an exhilarated Lewis Hamilton and a dejected Daniel Ricciardo on the Monaco podium was striking. The amiable and ever smiling Aussie was feeling robbed, cheated and let down by his team, and there was no way he was going to be silent about it. Monaco... the race where anything can happen, and does happen. In this case, a team that was unable to have tires ready for its leading drivers’s pitstop! But on the other side of the fence, there was hamilton, ecstatic, overjoyed, and there was a reason for that: he should have won last year’s Monaco Grand Prix, when he was easily leading the race and Mercedes miscalculated a pitstop, effectively handing over the victory to Rosberg on a plate. Monaco, the karmic casino...

Max Verstappen has all the stars aligned. Such amazing success does not happen by chance, but is the result of a combination of events. This is not to take away anything from Max’s stupendous victory, which he owes primarily to his exceptional mental state and ability to remain objectively focused at all times: the kid has nerves of titanium. Add loads of raw talent and flawless coaching since he was a child, and you have the recipe for continued success. But in Barcelona, two events propelled young Verstappen to victory: a winning tire strategy (two stops versus three for his team mate Ricciardo), and of course the first lap pandemonium when the two Mercedes drivers took each other out. Yes, the stars are aligned for Max, and a star is born.

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