Max on Schumacher, Senna, Bianchi and being the best
Published on 26 January 2018 by Stefan Meens
In an exclusive interview with Dutch TV broadcaster Ziggo Sport, renowned sports journalist Wilfried de Jong interviewed Max Verstappen at his home in Monaco. The two discuss a wide variety of topics – including old-school Formula 1, Jules Bianchi, the comparison between Max and Ayrton Senna and the father/mentor dynamic that Jos Verstappen has played throughout his son’s career.
The interview starts with a photograph of sixties Formula 1 icon Jim Clark. The picture prompts the question if Max has any interest in the history of the sport he is now part of. “I do know a bit about it, but my knowledge doesn’t stretch that far back. I know the names, but the really old cars don’t really have my interest. I’d never really have the urge to drive those cars; they’re just too old, too slow. Although anything driven on the limit is challenging, it just doesn’t do it for me. Guys like Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) love the old cars and bikes. I’m more modern.”
The tone of the interview changes when a picture of Jules Bianchi’s funeral is shown. “The accident happened at the Japanese Grand Prix at which I made my debut in free practice. It was bittersweet. I didn’t know him. He was already a F1 driver, whereas I just arrived. It was tragic. You instantly knew something was wrong, there was no movement after such a massive impact with the crane. It’s awful, but there are always risks.”
“Personally, I’ve seen someone die on the race track before. In 2009, during a karting event I saw someone being reanimated and I knew it was bad. A few hours later, we got confirmation. Again, it’s not great, but you have to move on. You cannot be scared in this sport. If you are, you can’t give it your best. In racing, nobody talks about death.”
A name synonymous with racing and death is Ayrton Senna, the triple world champion who lost his life at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Ever since Max’s extraordinary wet-weather driver at Interlagos in 2016, the Dutchman is often compared to the Brazilian legend. “I’m not really a fan of being compared to anyone. I try to keep focusing on myself. Having said that, it is nice to hear that people are positive. But it’s not something to think too much about: in Formula 1 you can go from hero to zero in a moment. Brazil 2016 was super race, but you’ve got to move on.”
It is a small step from Max’s majestic drive at Interlagos, to his first win, months earlier, at the Spanish Grand Prix. The photo that rekindles the memories, is a picture of Helmut Marko embracing his Red Bull protégé. “It was a special moment. Helmut was the one who took a gamble by putting me in the car after only four races into my second season. Everybody had an opinion about that move, but we won the first race!”
“Helmut is a bit of a second (racing) father to me. He always wants the best for me. We talk a lot during a Grand Prix weekend, about what can we improve. He keeps an eye on everything so he can advise me on the small things. Things like talking on the team radio or how to deal with people. He always wants the best for me, so he is always honest. If things go well, he’s happy, but he will tell me if it’s not good enough.”
In many ways, Helmut Marko plays a similar role to the one Jos Verstappen played throughout most of Max’s career. “I wouldn’t say we’ve grown apart now that I’m in F1. Of course, I must do more my own thing. People expect me to be my own man, instead of my dad doing things for me. But I think it’s important to have people like him to advise me and for them to have my back.”
Throughout his whole career, Max and Jos have had a strong relationship, even during junior’s puberty years. “Of course we had different opinions, but ultimately he was right, nine out of ten times. So, I trust his opinion. We both have strong egos, but that is in our blood and has gotten us this far and into F1. If we didn’t have that drive, we’d still be in go-karts.”
“I trust him but that doesn’t mean I don’t make my own choices. A good example is Malaysia last year. We had some new parts on the car. They didn’t really work for Daniel, but I was convinced they would be beneficial, despite set-up difficulties. I decided to keep using them. During the practice sessions, we just couldn’t make it work but I was adamant we should use them in qualifying. Dad came up to me and told me he I shouldn’t use the new parts. I stuck to my guns. In the end, we managed to make them work and I qualified in third, a really good result for the car at the time. Afterwards I walked up to dad and said ‘told you so’. Of course he laughed, he was happy with the choice!”
Another picture shown to Max is one of Michael Schumacher. Jos and Michael used to be good friends, even spending holidays together. Max remembers hanging out with Michael’s son Mick. “I was really young, but it was fun. I never really thought about that we were on holiday with the great Michael Schumacher. I was too young and too busy playing with his son.”
A quality that Max admires about Schumacher was his relentless will to win, at any cost, even if it meant driving people of the track. “It showed his incredible desire to be the best. It’s part of being the best and wanting to be the best.”
On the topic of being the best, Max is coy to answer who is the best driver on the current F1 grid. “I always think you have to think of yourself as the best. If you don’t, what’s the point of participating? The goal is to be the best and I have to prove it when I get the chance. That’s obviously depended on the car, but hopefully I’m able to prove myself more often."
A driver who will be keen to get the better of Max is team mate Daniel Ricciardo. The two Red Bull Racing drivers have a good relationship off-track. “It’s unusual to get on this well with a team mate. Normally you would go your own way, but we get on really well. I don’t think we’ll see this type of friendship too often in Formula 1. Having said that, we don’t really hang out outside the paddock but at the circuit we’re friends with a lot of respect for each other.”
At the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, the positive vibe between the two RBR aces seemed to have evaporated after Max crashed into Ricciardo at the second corner. “I understood why Daniel was so angry afterwards. We laughed about the whole incident later, but in the heat of the moment, emotions run high. I would’ve been the same had it been the other way around. It wouldn’t be right if we weren’t emotional in those moments, especially if you want to be the best and win. We’re not in this for second place!”
