Max opens up about life in the fast lane

Published on 30 April 2015 by Stefan Meens

The early break between the opening rounds of the championship and the start of the European season marks an excellent opportunity to catch up with the youngster driver in Formula 1 history. Verstappen.nl chats to Max Verstappen about how is world turned upside down now he is a Grand Prix contender.

“It’s a crazy hectic environment but one that was always my goal. Now that I’m in F1, I can’t get enough of it. Because Formula 1 is so big, there is a lot of media attention. I do not necessarily like it but I don’t hate it. In general, I’m not too keen to be the centre of attention. I rather observe from a distance but it’s all part of being an F1 driver.”

Max’ spectacular progression from karts into Formula 1 led to latter class becoming a lot more popular in the Netherlands. Go karting tracks see a surge of people visiting and more and more youngster have ambitions to become the new Max Verstappen. “It’s great to see karting become more popular and I think I can be an example for young kids. Of course it’s also good for the tracks.”

As the 17-year-old spends a lot of his time traveling abroad, he is not always aware of the increase in popularity. “When I’m home I definitely notice it and it’s great to see the interest in Formula 1 and motor racing on the rise”, says Max who seems the have brought about a ‘second wave’ of Formula 1 interest in the Netherlands, after his father Jos did the same in the 1990s.

When the media talks about Verstappen junior, Jos is often mentioned but it does not bother Max. “What my dad, as a Dutchman, has achieved in Formula 1 is special and we shouldn’t forget that”, explains the Scuderia Toro Rosso driver, who owes a lot to his father. “He’s taught me everything. Of course you need talent but it’s important you have the right people around you and Jos is that person.”

Verstappen senior has stated several times he think his son is more talented. However, Max says a lot has to do with preparation. “He had to do everything on his own. He didn’t have anyone who could explains how everything worked. However, I’ve been prepared since the earliest days in my career and he has guided me in the right direction. He explained to me what it takes to be a Formula 1 driver and that has made a big difference.”

Perhaps that is why Max never really doubted his path to F1. “I always knew what I wanted and what my goal was. I’m still enjoying racing as much as when I first started and I think that’s really important.”

Max and Jos are not the only ones in the Verstappen family that have racing in their blood. Max’ mother, Sophie, was successful in karting. “She’s pretty nervous when I’m racing but she knows what it’s all about because she raced herself. She watches all the races on the TV but in Bahrain she visited me the first time during a Grand Prix.”

His younger sister Victoria is slowly but gradually taking her first steps in racing. “She started karting at a pretty late age so for now she is mainly training. It’s important for her to have a lot of track time. I enjoy coaching her, even though she can be stubborn at times”, smiles Max. “But at the end of the day she takes my advice on board because she knows I want the best for her. So she’s a bit like my dad in that respect.”

Meanwhile, in the paddock, things are more competitive than racing against family, especially with Carlos Sainz. “In Formula 1 the only driver you can compare yourself against is your team mate. As we both drive the same car, Carlos is my biggest rival. Nevertheless, we have a great relationship. We really try to help each other in order to improve the car. There is no animosity between us and in between Grands Prix we Whatsapp to see how we’re doing.”

Apart from the solid relationship with his team mate, Max feels at home at Scuderia Toro Rosso. “It’s like my second family. Everyone works together really well and you sense they all want the best for me. They’re experienced dealing with young drivers so they give me a lot of confidence which is very important."

From the moment Max was announced as a Red Bull Junior and subsequently a 2015 Formula 1 driver, his life turned upside down with a busy schedule to prepare him for his debut. Despite all of that, Max never felt nervous about becoming a Grand Prix driver. “Initially I couldn’t believe it but after the contract was signed, I was so focussed on my preparation that I didn’t really celebrate.”

It did, however, feel pretty special to drive an F1 racer for the first time. “At first I couldn’t believe how fast it was. During the first couple of laps, my eyes struggled to keep up, that’s how fast the car accelerated. But after some more laps I just wanted to go faster. Because in the end, despite everything in Formula 1 being bigger, the goal remains the same: to drive the fastest lap possible.”