Max Verstappen finally collected his F1 trophy, and expressed his happiness with the same.
Verstappen clinched his first world championship under dramatic circumstances on the last lap of the last race of the season. It was an emotional moment for him, as he had dreamed about it since he began racing.
However, the controversy surrounding his win tainted his victory, hampering it from a legal point of view. There were protests and appeals after it, and for a while it seemed like his title would be decided in the courtroom.
But ultimately, the aftermath dulled down, and Verstappen finally collected his F1 trophy at a gala ceremony held at the Louvre in Paris.
“It’s my life goal achieved, so it sounds pretty decent,” he said after being called on stage to collect his trophy, as quoted by Metro USA.
“Everything that comes next is just a bonus. I’m of course going to keep pushing, I’m going to be in F1 for a few more years but this has been an incredibly tough season.
“It’s been an incredible battle with Lewis, one of the greatest drivers ever in Formula One. I think we really pushed each other to the limit, sometimes over the limit…I think in the end we really respect each other.
“I can’t wait for next year to come back and for sure we’re going to try again.”
Commiserations
Verstappen also addressed the absence of Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton, saying that he completely understands the reason for it.
“I don’t feel sorry but I can understand of course that it can be very painful,” he said.
“But at the end of the day that’s racing as well. You have to just keep fighting to the end and you know that in racing anything can happen.
“He (Hamilton) also won a championship like that. So I think he can understand as well.
“That should give him a lot of comfort and should also be that drive to just keep on going because he is still trying to challenge for that eighth title and for sure he can do that again next year.
“So I don’t see any reason why to give up or stop now,” he concluded.