Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says when he was young he didn’t know he wanted to be a Formula 1 driver, saying it wasn’t “everything” for him unlike his father and former F1 driver Jos.
If racing at the top seems to be the fate of the reigning world champion, this is not always the case. Young Verstappen grew up in the shadow of his F1 driver father Jos, who he admits inspired him to one day follow in his footsteps and reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
However, although he was forced to participate in racing from a very young age, he did not always share the same passion. Verstappen shared his story on the Red Bull podcast, Mind Set Win, where he explained how his father’s instincts almost pushed him away, before he finally found his love for the sport. this sport. “When I was four years old, I didn’t know I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver, it was just about loving driving and having fun. At some point, I think you find your passion and Then of course your parents are your supporters.” but not one who pushes you to do it, because otherwise it will catch up with you.
“You’ll do it for a few years because your parents like you doing it, but if at some point it’s not your true passion, it will show.”
“Of course, sometimes I need a push to understand how serious it is, what we are doing, but passion has to come from yourself.”
Given the importance of mental toughness in modern sport, Verstappen demonstrates a natural ability to cope with the pressures of F1. This stemmed from his realization that for him, motorsport was not the optimal solution.
“F1 is of course an important part of my life but it’s not everything. I don’t have to constantly think about it to perform. I know when to turn it back on and when to turn it off.
This laid-back attitude allows him to exude confidence both on and off the track. However, as Verstappen explains, he does not share this approach with his father, who is instead much stricter.
“I just love what I do. I’ve been doing it for a few years now. I don’t really drive myself crazy and ask myself a lot of questions. I just go with the flow. This really worked for me.
“At that time I argued with my dad quite a bit about it, he thought I was too relaxed about it. He wanted me to be more aware of things. I think I learned a lot from talking to him, but I’m still pretty much the same. I think my father is more excited than I am [about the approach of a major tournament]. »
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