Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return

When it comes to a world champion’s itinerary, every minute is accounted for. GP Racing’s interview with Max Verstappen in Barcelona is scheduled for right after his Spanish TV appearance, and we watch as he’s invited onto the roof of Red Bull’s Energy Station to meet Sergi Roberto of the world-renowned local football team. Roberto presents the 24-year-old – an FC Barcelona fan – with a jersey bearing the name ‘Verstappen’ across the shoulders.

The Dutchman is genuinely impressed. His PR assistant swiftly passes on a signed Red Bull-branded polo shirt as the return gift.

When that interview is over, they pose for a photo. The clock continues to tick. A handshake, a couple of unguarded words exchanged now that the cameras aren’t rolling – and now Verstappen only needs to take a few steps towards the table where he’ll sit down with a certain monthly British F1 magazine. But in the blink of an eye, a pair of fans with VIP passes effectively slot themselves into his schedule, with a mission to show off the tattoos on their arms.

“Oh, wow,” an amazed Verstappen blurts out. And, well, you can’t just walk past when you see something like that. He takes out his phone to take a photo of the tattoos. The female fan – whose arm features a drawing of Verstappen, except with half his face that of a lion – is overcome by goosebumps facing the lens of the Red Bull driver’s phone.

He’s relaxed, chatty and cheerful. Such interviews and meetings are all part of the world champion’s daily routine, especially on grand prix weekends, but he clearly enjoys it.

“For me it’s really nice, because I’m a big Barcelona fan,” he says, making a mental segue between his last interview and his current one. “To meet up with Sergi, you know, he’s been part of Barcelona for a while – and I know Memphis [Depay], I know Frenkie de Jong – to meet these guys is always really nice. And when you’re in Barcelona, I mean, it’s really fun to have these little things.”

And what about the tattoos?

“Oh, yeah, that’s crazy,” Verstappen makes big eyes. “Like… that’s massive! Then you’re a big fan. To do something like that... I mean, even I don’t have any tattoos with 33 or memories of my wins or whatever...”

Verstappen's following and popularity has ballooned in recent years, even before his 2021 F1 title triumph

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Max recalls how, in 2018, in the ‘Max Verstappen village’ his fans had set up in Spielberg not far from the track during the grand prix weekend, he met a man with three tattoos all across his back commemorating Verstappen’s first three wins: GP Spanje 15-05-2016, GP Maleisie 01-10-2017 and GP Mexico 29-10-2017.

“I saw him maybe the year after,” Verstappen says, “then, of course, he tattooed another two. So he had like five on his back. I think the guy is now all the way down to his ass. I don’t know if he has done more. I should actually find out.”

In any case, should that fan want to continue, he’ll have to rethink the scale of the tattoos.

“Yeah, exactly!” laughs Verstappen. “I don’t know how he’s going to put… the rest. Because if you put it the same size, there is no space.”

Number one dream

As we speak Verstappen has claimed 23 F1 victories – a tally he’ll add to just a couple of days later. Chances are he’ll exceed 30 before this season is out. He’s the world champion, and is surrounded by reminders of this hard-earned status. The number one is emblazoned on his cap, it’s part of the Energy Station’s interior decor, and it’s even on the jersey Barcelona’s star midfielder has just handed to him.

“My dream was of course always to try and win races,” Verstappen says about the significance of being the world champion. “But the ultimate dream was to win with the number one on your car. Because how many times do you have that opportunity in life?

"I am definitely more relaxed. But I know that when I jump in the car I still want to achieve the best. I’m not lazy. I’m not like ‘well, if I don’t have a good weekend, it doesn’t matter, because I’m world champion’, you know?" Max Verstappen

“Even in karting I always liked to run with number one. If number one wasn’t available, then number three, because that’s my favourite number. But for me, one really shows… you are the champion.

“I did the same in karting when I won the European championship. At the time I think I had number two or something… they just gave me a random number. But then of course for the world championship I could choose the number and I chose one. For me it didn’t add any extra pressure. For me it’s more like confidence, because you know what you did already earlier in the year, and now you can show it.”

Unlike many recent champions in motorsport, Verstappen hasn't been shy on using the #1 plate

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The number one is also a reminder that he had fulfilled not only his, but also his father’s lifetime goal.

“It means a lot for him,” Verstappen says. “He was also very emotional [in Abu Dhabi last year]. Because he had his career, and I think there was a lot more potential in it than what actually came out of it. So then he was a bit like ‘I’m gonna try to make my son better than I am and [let him] learn from my mistakes’ in a way.

“I mean, I knew this since I grew up. We’ve talked about his career many times, and how we were going to do it different [for me]. And to be able to achieve this together is really special. Because of course without my dad I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I would probably be a different person as well.

“And yeah, once I crossed the line in Abu Dhabi – of course, I was very happy with winning the race – but immediately I had these flashbacks of travelling all over Europe, going for that goal together, you know, to try and get to Formula 1, try to be a race winner, and then of course winning the championship.”

 Status symbolism

So, what is it that drives someone who’s accomplished their dream – and has already done so at 24 years of age?

“I don’t really think about it too much,” he says. “But of course you know it. And sometimes moments pass by randomly, you see whatever, socials or TV, and, when you see the number one and stuff… And it’s nice. Of course, it’s nice. You really worked for it all the way to get there. But I’m also really keen and eager to look ahead and try to achieve something like that again.

“I am definitely more relaxed. But I know that when I jump in the car I still want to achieve the best. I’m not lazy. I’m not like ‘well, if I don’t have a good weekend, it doesn’t matter, because I’m world champion’, you know? I’m still upset, I still want the best during a weekend, and I’m still gonna tell what I find of the situation or what I think can be done better.

“But in my mind, and just I think in terms of day-to-day life, you probably are a bit more relaxed, because you know that you achieved your life goal.”

But the title brings an extra responsibility, too. Verstappen is now the face of F1, and he himself acknowledges that his words reach a much bigger audience.

Verstappen has gained huge support from the "Orange Army" during his rise in F1

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“Because you have, let’s say, a bit more of a status in Formula 1 now,” he says. “People look at you a bit more than, let’s say, in 2016 or 2017. So then naturally there is more news about you.

“But for me, it doesn’t change anything in how I behave or what I will say, because I will just speak my mind.”

His colleagues Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton use their world champion status to promote discussion of global issues that go beyond the confines of sport. But both are at least a decade older.

“Of course, I’m in a different stage of my career,” says Verstappen. “And of course, when Seb feels really strong about things, he should say it. Which he does. That’s also great, because you have really different characters in Formula 1. Because that makes F1 special, I think, as well to have these different kinds of characters. And you know, if he wants to speak his mind like that, he should do it. I mean, why not?

“I think it needs to stay natural, just the way you are. Because even if, let’s say, you’re an ambassador, I think, it should always be from yourself, like how you are.

“You shouldn’t be a fake person, trying to just be the ambassador for Formula 1. You should always speak your mind. Of course, you need to be a little careful... But in general, just be yourself. And I think then you’re already naturally a kind of ambassador anyway.”

 Starting from zero

Verstappen’s first races bearing that prized number-one status yielded mixed results – he won the second grand prix of the season in Saudi Arabia, but retired from the races either side of it. The new generation of cars are heavy and mechanical reliability has been a problem – and still a nagging doubt in the races with better outcomes – as Red Bull pushes its weight-saving measures to the limit. There are questions, too, over whether the succession of updates Red Bull applied to its car in the heat of the world championship battle with Mercedes last year came at the expense of the RB18.

"You shouldn’t be a fake person, trying to just be the ambassador for Formula 1. You should always speak your mind. Of course, you need to be a little careful... But in general, just be yourself" Max Verstappen

“I don’t think it has anything to do with it,” Verstappen says. “It doesn’t feel like it. Also, when I speak to the team, it’s not like that, it’s not like we are over pushing the engine or whatever.

“Last year we were very, very good on reliability. And there were no real issues. This year maybe with the new fuels, you know, just new car installation, things can be of course a little bit different. But for us also the weird thing was in testing we had no issues and now suddenly we had a few issues we just need to get on top of. And it’s a constant process, right?

“I mean, if you ask anyone in the paddock, you have issues every single weekend, you know, tiny bits which you need to tie up and... yeah, some of course, when they come out they can be a bit more serious than others, and unlucky moments, I’ve had them in the races, unfortunately. But there’s nothing dramatic, it’s just like these little things we have to tidy up a bit.”

Since his Australian GP DNF, his second retirement from the opening three races, Verstappen has won five out of the last six races

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

The cars are now very different – and Verstappen, like his team, is having to adapt. It’s obvious this season that his pit garage neighbour Sergio Perez isn’t as far off as he had been. Such was Verstappen’s dominance over his team-mates in the previous generation of cars that it spawned a popular theory that only his sublime reflexes could cope with the edgy cars designed by Adrian Newey.

“To be honest, I really don’t think so,” Verstappen says. “Because I also need a stable enough car to go quick, right? And, yes, I like front end. But I know a lot of drivers in the paddock who like a good front end, you know, so... I think I was just really well integrated with the team. And, you know, together with my engineer GP [Gianpiero Lambiase] and of course with my performance engineer [Tom Hart] and everyone else we knew exactly how to get the best out of the car.

“And I think now with a new car, because everyone starts from zero, you have to try and develop that same thing.

“I don’t think there was anything related to it being my car, I just set it up in a... well, possibly in the fastest way, right? You always try to of course find the best balance in the car. And our car worked the best like that. So you have to drive it like that.

“It is the same now, right? You have to adapt to a different car. You always have to adapt. Every track the car might feel a bit different, so you have to adapt to what is best for the track, the car and the tyres.”

 (Not) a new rivalry

Though at one point seemed as though Ferrari and Charles Leclerc had built up a fearsome advantage, it’s now clear we’re in for another memorable title duel involving Max – now up against a different rival, since Mercedes has been unable to furnish Lewis Hamilton with a strong enough car.

“For sure, every driver is different,” Verstappen says of his new challenger. “And of course, with the cars we have now the fights are a bit different as well. And I think it’s good for F1, to have Ferrari back up front. And it’s like a different team you’re fighting against as well.

“It’s been really enjoyable [so far]. What is important is that you can go to each other and say ‘you did a better job this weekend’. There was a lot of respect.

“Of course, I know once you get more to the end of the championship, and let’s say we’re close, you get more heated battles. But I think that’s normal. We have a lot of respect for each other and that matters the most I think.”

Leclerc and Verstappen battle for victory at the Saudi Arabian GP, reigniting an old rivalry from their karting days

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

As Verstappen emerged as a title contender – and the chief threat to Hamilton’s dominance over the preceding two seasons – those battles appeared to take on a personal nature, and not just between the championship protagonists. There was considerable rancour between their bosses, too, an ongoing soap opera which made for compelling headlines but led to a general elevation of tensions. Recently there’s been a battle of the quotes between Ferrari and Red Bull at team principal level, but their drivers have stayed out of it – could this indicate less friction between Leclerc and Verstappen?

Is it less tense than it was with Hamilton? “I don’t think it’s less tense,” Verstappen says. “It’s just, yeah, we know each other, we had more battles together from early on [in karting]. And it’s nice to have your own generation doing well, right? When we see each other after the race and in the cool-down room, there’s a really good atmosphere, you know. We know each other well. We could talk about anything, not even about the race, just general stuff.

“It’s like Lando [Norris], Esteban [Ocon], you know, all these guys, George [Russell], we just know each other a little bit better. And that’s why I think the chemistry also then becomes better.”

Unless the boisterously pro-Verstappen Orange Army has pulled off a coup by snapping up a load of tickets, chances are the grandstands will be packed with Hamilton fans still nursing hurt at the way last year’s championship panned out. But Verstappen isn’t worried about being heckled

Yet it’s clear that Verstappen’s 2021 rivalry with Hamilton was heated from the very first races. The whole paddock felt something was brewing – and it boiled over with that collision on the first lap of the British GP at Silverstone, which left Verstappen in hospital (albeit briefly) and Hamilton facing suggestions his penalty was too soft.

A year on Verstappen – unlike Hamilton – will return to Silverstone as one of the chief title contenders again. How does he feel about going back to the scene of one of his biggest crashes?

“Good,” Verstappen smiles. “Of course, the crash wasn’t nice, but I love the track. I love going there. It’s [a] really good atmosphere with Formula 1, and we’re going really quick around there.

“So I don’t have any hard feelings. And I also think very easily I can put these things aside. Of course, it wasn’t nice what happened, but at the end of the day, you deal with it. It wasn’t a nice impact for me personally, but we go out there again and try to win of course.”

The Hamilton and Verstappen rivalry spilled over at last year's British GP

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Verstappen might be able to set aside his grievances easily, but to race at Silverstone is to perform in front of an especially partisan crowd. Unless the boisterously pro-Verstappen Orange Army has pulled off a coup by snapping up a load of tickets, chances are the grandstands will be packed with Hamilton fans still nursing hurt at the way last year’s championship panned out. But Verstappen isn’t worried about being heckled.

“The good thing is,” he says, “once we jump in the car with the helmet on, you don’t hear anything…”

“And they love motorsport. I mean, it’s such a big history in England in general, right?”

Verstappen isn't worried about returning to Silverstone and facing the British fans

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool