Max Verstappen has always said it: he is tired of extra-sporting, of this policy which is nevertheless an integral part of the world of F1. What interests him is driving, sport, nothing more.
However, this season has not been short of extra-sporting controversies for Red Bull. From the beginning of the year, during the Horner affair.
Off the track, Verstappen had to deal with a violent conflict between his team principal and his own father – Jos, who clearly challenged Christian Horner's authority. Jos even declared that the team would collapse if Horner remained in his position.
But the Red Bull driver was able to skillfully navigate this crocodile lake, while not alienating either his father or Christian Horner.
His excuse? He focused on the performance of his car, not what was happening outside it.
“Yeah, I mean, the beginning was quite, let's say, a bit chaotic, but I think I'm quite calm in those situations. I think it's very difficult to bother me with anything. I'm very focused on the racing side of things. And I know that when I sit in the car, I forget everything, even the positive and negative things. And I just focus on what's in front of me, which is performance, and I drive the car as fast as I can. »
“What has always been very important is that I have a good relationship with Christian and with my father”ajoute Verstappen.
“My dad, of course, thinks about me and has my best interests in mind – what I want to do and how I look on the team. »
“He of course asked his questions, but at the same time I was very busy looking after the performance of the car and trying to improve it. But in the end he was able to see that now everyone is normal, everyone is handling it and focusing on performance. »
“People don't need to be best friends, they don't need to go on vacation together. But I think you can have a normal working relationship, which you absolutely do, and especially lately it's getting a lot better. »
“But I also always said that when you have problems with someone, when you're not happy with something, you talk about it, you communicate, right? You talk, and it's always much better than throwing something into the media. »
“And I told both of them that, and that’s why it wasn’t about me picking a side. It was just a matter of speaking some common sense, I think, to both of us. »
Has Newey's departure made Red Bull lose its mind?
This Horner controversy contributed to deteriorating the atmosphere at Red Bull. Also precipitating the departure of Newey.
Is this not a source of concern for Max Verstappen? Without Newey, Red Bull seemed lost in the second half of the season… coincidence or not?
“Naturally, I would have preferred these people to stay. »
“At one point in the season we realized that what we had added to the car, although it might make it faster, was making it very difficult to drive. »
“We started off really dominant, but I also feel like some teams didn't start off as well as they should have compared to last year, so we were a little surprised by that. »
“We felt it was a little strange to see that the others weren't really taking the step forward. So, I guess they've settled their affairs. »
“I already said at the start of the year that I was not entirely satisfied with the way the car was handling. »
“With my experience since 2021”says Verstappen, “You just can't afford bad results or missed big opportunities, because in the end they will really catch up with you in the championship. »
Max Verstappen won't stay in F1 to stay in F1
Max Verstappen also made it clear: he is fed up with the extension of the F1 calendar. He wants 24 Grands Prix, not 18. And he will not stay in F1 to break all the records, especially titles.
“It’s not something I dream of. This is not my desire. I just want to have a good time. I know that when I get in the car, I will always do my best. »
“It’s not like when I started in F1… I had this goal, seven titles, more than 100 victories. At the time, of course, Michael (Schumacher) held the record. This is no longer how I see life today. »
“Maybe when I was younger, yes, I wanted to drive in F1 for as long as possible. But now, when you've already accomplished so much, it's no longer about wanting to drive forever. I also want to enjoy life. »
“I definitely don’t want to race F1 until I’m 40. You only live once, and I don't want to spend half my life racing cars. »
