Max Verstappen admits he is happy to have had more rest during the Formula 1 season and is enjoying his free time with a 2nd month break.
When the sport resumes with the United States Grand Prix next week, teams and drivers will have had almost four full weeks off since the previous race in Singapore.
Verstappen looks ahead to the last six races of the year and sees a difference compared to the start of his F1 career.
“This year it’s a bit different, we do a few races then we take a break. Then the last part of the season comes very quickly with the racing triplets starting. It’s important to be ready, but also to take your time at home and rest in between.”
“It’s actually more important to leave speed aside and relax, be slow! There’s no shortage of adrenaline during times when there’s no racing. Maybe there’s seven or eight years. But now, slowly, we want to rest. We don’t think too much about the race and we take time to rest.
“It’s important to know how to rest your body and mind. 24 races, 6 sprints, 30 qualifications, these are enormous demands.”
“Next year we won’t have such a break, so it’s important to take advantage of it.”
F1 plans to add new circuits to the calendar but by alternating between some, particularly in Europe. And Verstappen admits he has a circuit in mind.
“Mugello. Fast corners. I just want smooth tracks. So not too many low-speed, stop-start corners, just smooth, fast corners. Spa and Suzuka are other great examples.”
And would he like to see an F1 car on an oval one day?
“In an F1 calendar? No. And not for me. I like doing it for fun, on my online simulator, but not in real life. Indy, NASCAR, I like watching them, but I don’t want to fly there.”
“I’ve already driven an F1 demo on a sort of embankment, like an oval, but no, I wouldn’t even like to test on a real oval.”
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