Verstappen's meteoric rise in F1 took another trajectory when he won his first race with Red Bull in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix as an 18-year-old, but further success was harder to come by in an era dominated by Mercedes.
The 2017 rules reset kept Mercedes at the front, with Ferrari becoming the Brackley team's most regular challenger while Red Bull's Renault engine deal turned sour and a 2019 gamble to partner with Honda didn't immediately pay off.
While Verstappen's mercurial talent allowed him to take sporadic wins, it took until the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix for the Dutchman to grab a maiden pole position, of which he has now amassed 22.
Red Bull finally started matching Mercedes in 2021 and then stole a march on the entire field with the 2022ground effect regulations, with Verstappen a firm favourite to take a third consecutive world title.
Looking back on Red Bull's leaner years, Verstappen says his five-year wait for title success with the Milton Keynes outfit has taught him to be patient.
When asked if he ever had doubts about the Red Bull project, he replied. "Not doubts, but you have to be patient.
"I think I learned a lot of patience over the years, but I always believed in the project because of how I saw people working, and how motivated they were to really get back on top.
Source: Autosport