Max Verstappen acknowledged the significance of the show at London’s O2 Arena, where Formula 1 kicked off its 75th anniversary with F1 75 Live on Tuesday evening. However, deep down, he would have preferred to stay at home in Monaco. “I do my thing and then just happily go home,” he said.
It was a busy two days in London for Max Verstappen, four-time Formula 1 world champion. He had already travelled to London on Monday for hours-long filming and video sessions for commercial rights holder FOM. A day later, numerous press sessions followed, as well as the unveiling of the livery of Red Bull’s RB21, the challenger with which he will pursue his fifth world crown.
“Of course, I’d rather be at home, where I can better prepare for the season,” Verstappen said. “I tried that in January. And it was very nice, I trained a lot at home. Stable weeks, with a normal rhythm.” The 48 hours on British soil were a brief interruption to his strict training regime.
Verstappen ‘Quite Relaxed’
During the media sessions in London, various and predictable themes came up, such as impending fatherhood. Verstappen and girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together in the spring. “Exciting,” said the world champion, “although I’m quite relaxed about it. It will be fine.” If the birth unexpectedly occurs during a Grand Prix weekend, there is a chance he may not be able to be present at the birth. He has taken this into account. “We’ll see when it gets closer.”
A major point of discussion in recent months, including in London, has been the strict measures and high fines announced by FIA Chairman Mohammed Bin Sulayem for swearing and other inappropriate language by drivers. Recently, rally driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 for his statement ‘we fucked it up’ in a live interview. “I’m not going to say too much anymore, you have to be very careful with that. Even if you give your opinion, you can still get a penalty for it, anything can be offensive. I think,” said Max Verstappen, “it’s quite abnormal what is now all (in the rules) described. I understand that swearing is not okay, but everyone does it. What did you do at school in the past? Or when you play football? Let’s use a bit of common sense.”
‘Just Wait and See’
Of course, Max Verstappen was also asked about his expectations for 2025. He was brief. “I’ve already experienced so many of those winter months in which it has never been 100% clear how good or bad a car is. It’s just a matter of waiting until I’ve driven the car, then I can give the answer. But if you have a good car, a good base, then you usually also have a good year,” Verstappen stated. “I’m very relaxed about the new season.” According to the bookmakers, he’s not yet the clear favorite. Verstappen: “But I really don’t care.”
