Max spinning his first laps at Jumbo Racedagen: “Best fans there are”
Published on 20 May 2017 by Mike Motilall
Max Verstappen is doing a great many show runs during the Jumbo Racedagen at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend. The ten thousands of spectators that came to the beach resort to see their hero in action, were given a treat with no less than three runs of Max in his Red Bull Racing-car on Saturday. The high speed and thundering sound of the V8-engine at the rear of the RB8, got the crowd going on the grand stand.
“I think that there are already more people than last year. That is of course great to see and makes me absolutely proud. Certainly after you have done a run and you see everybody cheering, that is really nice to see. They are the best fans there are”, says Max on the podium, after he has been loudly welcomed by the crowd. On the question what makes the Dutch crowd so special, Verstappen doesn’t have to think too long: “You can easily pick out the Dutch fans in general, first because they are very enthusiastic and they are always very vocal. I think there were more Dutch than Spanish in Barcelona, so that’s very nice.”
Regarding his show runs at Circuit Zandvoort, Max says: “It is super to be here and driving the Red Bull Racing RB8. The V8-engine makes a nice sound, that always makes it extra special. It is a slightly different car that I am normally used to, but with a better sound, so that is also better to use here. I know from my Formula 3-period that Zandvoort is a great circuit. There is way more grip now with the new tarmac. It is more comfortable to drive on, because there aren’t that many bumps anymore, that’s very positive.” Just like many others, Max would also like to see Formula 1 in the future back at Zandvoort again, albeit that a lot has to be done: “Of course, that is very nice, but there is more to it, like a budget and the infrastructure. Location and size of the paddock, because many trailers also need to be accomodated temporarily. A lot needs to be done in order to be able to organize this.”
Due to all the commotion this weekend, training has been put on a lower priority: “I am not working out a lot these few days. My trainer said that taking a few days off is a good thing seeing next week will be very hectic. Normally, driving is the best work out there is. Because in the car, you eventually train all the muscles you use. This weekend, I will still be working out a little though with the show runs I will be doing.”
Apart from the many show runs from Max in his Formula 1-car, there is a lot more to see for the fans. There are different spectacular race classes like BOSS GP, many exciting stunt shows and a lot of entertainment for young and old on the Jumbo Familysquare. There are many supercars to be admired, your own race talent to be tested in a race simulator or go kart. There is also plenty of good food and drinks. The Verstappen webshop is also present with some stalls and different DJ’s will keep the party going on. Sunday promises to be a spectacular day again.
