Formula One world champion Max Verstappen showed his ruthless side in reaction to one of last season’s races.
Karun Chandhok, a pundit for Sky Sports F1, recently shared an interesting conversation he had with Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen. It shed light on the world champion’s relentless nature. Jos explained to Chandhok just how furious Max was after the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Last season, Baku hosted one of the few races that Verstappen didn’t win. Instead, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez claimed victory. Verstappen had an incredible season, securing a record-breaking 19 race wins on his way to a third consecutive title. Christian Horner’s team won 21 out of 22 possible races, but missed out on one of the early ones.
The season didn’t start perfectly for Verstappen, as Perez won two of the first four races, including the Azerbaijan GP where he finished ahead of Verstappen. The Dutchman was unlucky due to a Safety Car situation that allowed Perez to snatch the win at the street circuit. Jos Verstappen revealed that Max was furious about finishing in second place.
“I met Max’s Dad, Jos Verstappen, in Qatar the evening after Max won the championship. We were discussing the season, and he told me that Max was furious after Baku. When Max came home, he told his Dad, ‘I’m not going to let him beat me again this season,'” Chandhok shared on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“He was absolutely livid and said, ‘He will not beat me again.’ And guess what? He was right! It was quite devastating.”
Verstappen proved his determination in the following race, the Miami GP. Starting from ninth place on the grid, he put on a dominant performance and overtook Perez to claim victory. He had a clear motivation to avoid a repeat of what happened in Baku.
After Perez’s win in Azerbaijan, Verstappen went on to win 17 out of the next 18 races, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz securing the only other victory in Singapore. Verstappen showcased his ruthless and competitive spirit, which is something many other drivers on the grid would admire.
But Verstappen on the other hand was livid that he could not manage the victory and drew level with Perez on race wins for the season. The private moment highlighted once again just how determined and focused Verstappen is on achieving greatness with Red Bull.
It may also indicate some friction between Verstappen and Perez. The Mexican driver’s future at the team has come under threat following perceived underperformance with the Red Bull car, though Horner has indicated on several occasions that he will see out his contract – which is up at the end of next season.
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