"A very special moment" – Why Max Verstappen's Malaysia win means so much to Red Bull

"72, mate! 72!", Verstappen said over the team radio immediately after crossing the finish line at the Sepang International Circuit.

It logically refers to the Dutchman’s number of Formula 1 victories, but this 72nd win prompted more emotion than many of the 71 that came before it. Of course, Verstappen has experienced much more special moments in his F1 career, and his previous victory in Malaysia in 2017 was emotional as well, but this one certainly counts.

Formula 1F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Max Verstappen wins in chaos as George Russell retires

In a way, there is a similarity between Verstappen’s victory nine years ago and this year’s. Back then, a winless year was also looming and Verstappen managed to prevent that scenario in Malaysia. The same has happened again now, although there are also three crucial differences.

The first difference is that Verstappen has experienced a great deal in the intervening nine years, not least winning four world titles. It has shaped him as a person and a driver and given him greater peace of mind, as he acknowledged when asked by Motorsport.com: "It is different now compared to before 2021. Of course, I have won the championship four times by now and taken many victories. I think that means you approach things slightly differently.

"When the opportunity is there, of course you always go for it fully, but with a little less risk than back then. I can put everything into perspective a bit better now."

Nevertheless, the Sepang win visibly meant something to him and the team. That is related to the second factor that has been different this year: Red Bull found itself in a deep hole at the start of the new regulatory cycle.

Although the power unit – especially the internal combustion engine – was immediately competitive, the initial package on the chassis side was below par. Who still remembers the races in China and Japan, where Red Bull was reduced to a midfield team fighting with the likes of Alpine and Haas?

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Logically, that is not how one of F1’s big four teams wanted to start a new era, and it made the opening months of this year difficult – together with Verstappen’s frustration over the rules. And that is precisely what he has not forgotten now that his first victory of the season is finally in the bag.

"We’ve had a very complicated and tough start to the year with all sorts of problems and just not being competitive enough. But throughout the year, the team has been working very hard to understand our issues and bring good performance upgrades to the car to make it more driveable."

The recent Baku upgrade – Red Bull’s final major upgrade of the season – has been important in that respect. It has not only brought outright performance, but has also made Verstappen feel more comfortable in the car again, which helps him explore the limit more, something that could clearly be seen in the onboard footage of his pole lap at Sepang.

"Step by step, we’ve been getting closer and closer, and especially this weekend, we’ve been really in good form. So, yeah, it’s amazing."

Fighting back after such a difficult period also makes the victory special on a personal level, Verstappen acknowledged.

"I guess the beginning of the season was not nice to watch, and for me being in the car, it was not nice to drive either. But then seeing how the team progressed and basically never stopped working trying to fix the issues that we had, and then to deliver something like this, it’s amazing.

"Also with the people involved, honestly, the spirit in the team is very good. Everyone is on the same line and we really understand each other well. It’s very enjoyable to work in the team and that’s why I think everyone is super happy that we finally delivered a result like this."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Joe Portlock / Getty Images

It is important to note, however, that Verstappen’s own dissatisfaction with the technical regulations remains unchanged. He stated several times earlier this year that his dissatisfaction was not related to not winning races, and that remains the case now that he is fighting at the front again.

"Yes, that has nothing to do with whether I’m first, sixth or 10th. Those are two separate things", Verstappen clarified.

The final reason why the victory in Malaysia has special significance is, logically, that it is Red Bull’s first with its own power unit, the DM01, developed in partnership with Ford.

"Of course, to win a race in the first year of being a new power unit manufacturer is honestly incredible and something everyone should be really proud of", Verstappen said.

"We knew from the start that Red Bull Ford Powertrains built a strong engine, but we also knew the limitations. Although it was hard at times, and we sometimes didn’t believe we could get this win, we kept pushing."

For Red Bull, it is the first reward for the project in which Christian Horner and Helmut Marko played key roles for years.

After the initially intended deal with Porsche fell through, Ford came on board as a financial and technical partner, meaning the Blue Oval can now claim its first F1 victory since Brazil 2003 and its 177th as an engine supplier – together with Cosworth – in F1.

Formula 1Who slept best last night: Christian Horner

Formula 1Winners and losers from F1's bug-ridden Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Formula 1Explained: What was really going on with the FIA software bug causing F1 chaos in Malaysia

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

- The Motorsport.com Team