All things considered, given the intrinsic talent of the pilot, it seems that the victory of Max Verstappen, accompanied by Chris Lulham last weekend, in the GT3 category, appears to be nothing short of a small feat. At least, a major event that only confirms the interested party’s appetite in his quest to open up to other disciplines. F1 driver crowned with four world championship titles, Max Verstappen has always affirmed his desire to drive a different type of car than a Formula 1 in competition. More than ever, he seems to be taking this path to prepare for his future.
A real topic this Thursday in F1, the success of Max Verstappen marked by a victory on German soil gave rise to comments from each of the drivers interviewed. “I think that after winning four world championships, you have a little more right to choose what you want to do, commented Lando NorrisEveryone knows how much Max loves doing all these things. It’s nice that he’s doing other things that he enjoys. If I could do it more often, maybe I would. I don’t know if it adds to his greatness, but the fact that he can compete in any series and probably be the best shows how good he is. I’ve said it many times, I think he was born to be and always will be one of the best, if not the best, in Formula 1.
Verstappen about to create vocations?
Very common a few decades ago, the fact that F1 drivers could engage in anything other than single-seater racing has become difficult now. A busy schedule, multiple obligations, and often exposed risks… Max Verstappen now seems to place himself above all these considerations. I still don’t know what my future will be, I just see a time when I would just like to leave Formula 1 and do something else, go play golf and have fun somewhere else, the pilot discussed McLaren. Anyway, I really respect what Max does and I respect Max a lot. For my part, I love the Nordic life. So there’s probably another place I’d like to go and try that at some point.”
Quick to congratulate the Batavian, Esteban Ocon He also felt somewhat envious of the situation. “It was a very long race, but I followed it with great interest, smiled the FrenchmanI did some testing and development on the Nordschleife last year because I wanted to learn the layout and get a feel for it. I’ve been racing on that track in Gran Turismo for years. Seeing Max go there and win the race was obviously incredible. There’s no doubt he’s very good. But it’s remarkable, to say the least, because we have a very busy schedule. He’s in contention for the world championship. And he’s already won four, which helps him decide whether or not he’s going to do everything he has to do. If I were in his shoes, I’d probably do the same thing. But, well, I’m not.
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A habit in F1 in the coming years?
In a similar vein, George Russell, often Max Verstappen’s great rival for several months now, has in turn left the door open to a similar experiment in due course. “I think it’s incredible, to be honest. I think we’re all quite jealous of that, because he has the freedom to do what he loves in Formula 1, but also the freedom to go out and race and just enjoy the categories as he pleases, was developing the pilot MercedesI don’t think it’s that easy for others, but you have that right when you win four world championships, and we’re all here on a quest to win our first. Maybe after four championships under our belts, we’ll have the opportunity to make the same choice, but I respect that a lot. I’d love to do it one day.”
Like the desire expressed by certain drivers to race in Sarthe on the occasion of the 24H of Le Mans, it seems that the approach initiated by Max Verstappen could potentially lead to other requests of this kind in the years to come.