If you’ve ever played any of Codemasters’ F1 titles, you probably know what it’s like to get off to a great start and just power your way past opponents, breaking later and attacking corners more aggressively than the CPU.
That’s exactly what 19-year old Max Verstappen did on the first lap of the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix. He went from P16 on the grid, to making up 9 spots on the opening lap alone. Eventually, the Red Bull driver finished 3rd, behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
So how does he do it? Apparently, he’s really good in the wet. He first gets off to a great start, and takes to the outside of Turn 1 after already passing one one of the Toro Rossos. By the exit of Turn 1, he’s already passed two more cars.
By the time he gets to Turn 6, he’s already in 10th place after pulling a move we often see in video games – braking later than everybody while making your move on the outside. You don’t see it that often in real life, unless you can take advantage of a crowd of cars slowing everybody down, as Max does here.
Before he completes the first lap of the race, Verstappen goes on to pass a McLaren and a Williams, before benefiting from another driver heading in for a pit stop. Tremendous job!