Max Verstappen doesn’t want a repeat of the 2021 season, saying that such a level of intensity could shorten his F1 career.
Verstappen contested an all-time great title battle in 2021 with Lewis Hamilton, and it was an absolute barnstormer of a season. There were crashes, heated exchanges and a simmering rivalry that was always teetering on explosion.
While fans and neutrals absolutely ate it up, it must have not been good for the Dutchman’s mental health. The pressure he must have felt was surely unlike anything before it, and the Red Bull driver concurred with that sentiment.
Verstappen revealed that he doesn’t want a repeat of the 2021 season, and gave the reason as to why he feels that way.
In an interview with CarNext, the world champion said, “I don’t need to improve on this.
“I am happy with how it played out, but it was an amazing season, I think. A lot of unpredictable things happened, of course, the two teams fighting against each other, that is always more exciting than when it is just one team dominating and it is just the two team-mates basically fighting.”
Father-son bond
Super Max’s father Jos Verstappen celebrated his son’s championship victory, and basked in the entirety of the result he had manifested for his progeny.
Father and son shared an embrace and conversation once the race ended. Having played his bit in the season with mind games and trash talk, Jos agreed that the season was as intense as the best of them.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “But also with all the emotions there for the whole year – going really well, then bad luck, all the things happen, that made it so much more intense.
“It was so much. You want to win this last race and to win the championship, and that came all together.”
Read more: Verstappen praises friendship with Alonso – “He always wants to win”