The domination of Max Verstappen, a puzzle for Liberty Media
Liberty Media, the organization that manages Formula 1, considers Max Verstappen's dominance as a "challenge" to handle for the audience. Various stakeholders are trying to find solutions to continue attracting people and prevent the public from abandoning the sport.
At this rate, by the end of the year, the public will know the Dutch anthem by heart. Max Verstappen continues his dominance in Formula 1 for the third consecutive season. And in 2023, it seems to have reached its peak.
The Dutch driver has won 11 out of the 13 races this year, including ten in a row. This is a record in Formula 1. Alongside his teammate, Sergio Perez, Red Bull has not been defeated since last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Faced with such dominance from a driver and his team, Liberty Media, which manages the sport, is concerned that the viewership will plummet, especially at a time when Formula 1 is experiencing significant growth. « The midfield battles are quite interesting, and we can statistically demonstrate that there are more overtakes than ever before », says Greg Maffei, head of Liberty Media.
« Obviously, the challenge is that Max Verstappen is having an incredible year, a record-breaking year. Stefano Domenicali is rightly trying to change his communication strategy and say, “Come witness this historic event, we’ve never seen such success, you don’t want to miss it.” We’ll see if it works. »
Impressed by Max Verstappen’s speed
« The reality is that we have a very attractive competitive product, except for the fact that Max is very fast. Unless we break his leg, Tonya Harding-style*, I’m not sure what we can do about it. »
Despite fears of audience losses, Liberty Media acknowledges that Max Verstappen’s driving skills are among the best in recent years. With an aggressive and fast entry into corners, all while controlling his car.
*Scandal in the world of figure skating where Tonya Harding was convicted and expelled by her sports federation for attacking Nancy Kerrigan and injuring her knee with an iron bar. And all of this to prevent her from participating in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Games.
