CATCHING UP WITH THE WORLD’S FASTEST DRIVER
Tag Heuer’s friend of the brand, Max Verstappen, tells us why it resonates with him and what drives him to victory in the F1 world
When we spoke to Max Verstappen at the sidelines of Tag Heuer’s launch of the Monaco Night Driver on Sept 14, the Red Bull Racing driver had just clinched his 10th consecutive race victory at the Italian Grand Prix. Verstappen, who was in town for the Singapore Grand Prix that took place from Sept 15 to 17, attended the launch with teammate Sergio Perez. The launch was held at the Tag Heuer pop-up boutique at Ion Orchard.
The Dutch driver, who turned 26 on Sept 30, has many accolades under his belt, including being the youngest driver to race in Formula 1. Verstappen made his debut with the Red Bull Racing team at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix when he was just 17 years old. Since then, he has set several records including having the most consecutive race wins, clinching the most World Championship points in a season and becoming the youngest-ever race winner.
Christian Horner, the principal of the Red Bull Racing team, described him as “unstoppable” after Verstappen claimed his ninth consecutive win in London in August.
At the Singapore Grand Prix, naturally, all eyes were on him to see if he could achieve a record-breaking 11th consecutive win.
It was not to be, however, as Verstappen, who has yet to win a race in Singapore, placed fifth this year.
He told British sports channel Sky Sports that it was “a bit of a shame” although he “had fun” at the Marina Bay circuit.
“For me, these stats, I don’t care about that,” he added, when reminded that he had been overtaken by another driver for the first time so far in 2023. “It was normal also, you know, I was on old tyres also, so there’s not much you can do,” he stated matter-of-factly.
That said, the two-time world champion looks to be on track for his third straight win as he surged back into pole position in Suzuka, Japan, and eventually claimed the top spot at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sept 24. The win also made Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship for the second time in a row.
Currently, Verstappen remains firmly in the lead at 400 points after winning 13 out of 16 races, putting him 177 points ahead of his fellow Red Bull racer Perez, and 210 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sept 17, placed fifth overall at 150 points.
Options caught up with Verstappen for a quick chat about what it’s like being a Formula 1 driver, his priorities and how he unwinds.
What is it about the Tag Heuer DNA that resonates with you?
If you look at [Tag Heuer]’s hashtag, “Don’t crack under pressure”, I think it’s something that is quite usable in Formula One as well. So that matches already. Tag Heuer has been in Formula 1 forever. They have this racing DNA [with] the whole company. That’s why I think it’s a very good fit with our team.
You started your Formula 1 career at a very young age. What inspired you to pursue racing, and how did you manage to rise through the ranks so quickly?
It was probably in the family already. I mean, my dad [Jos Verstappen] raced in Formula 1 himself and my
mom [Sophie Kumpen] used to race in go-karting. But at the end of the day, you still need to love it, you still need to want it. I started go-karting when I was four years old, and step by step, it became [something] more professional. And eventually I wanted to be a Formula One driver, [which] is the highest you can achieve in racing. And yeah, now we are here.
How have your parents’ experiences helped you in your career?
[It helped] especially in working together with my dad very closely, and my mom always being there as a supporter. It’s nice — you could always just talk in the same language because they would understand what we are talking about. I would get tips from my dad from a very young age [as well]. They helped me to prepare a lot from a very young age.
Red Bull Racing has been your team since August 2014 and since you joined Formula 1. How has the team supported your growth as a driver, and what role has the team played in your success?
[They started supporting me] halfway through my junior career and F3, and of course, the plan was [for me] to be in Formula 1. So [the team is] almost like a second family now. So yeah, it’s very nice to be part of the team, and achieve all these successes now together. [It’s] something which I really enjoy. It [has] a great team spirit as well. And a lot of nice people in the team.
At 26, you have achieved several accolades including winning two championships. Is there any milestone that you’re looking forward to next, personally and professionally?
Not in my profession — I think I just want to try and continue what I’m doing at the moment, because winning is a nice thing, winning championships, but there’s not really anything else that’s the same, that’s for sure. So I just try to keep that going. Personally, there are a lot of different plans and things which hopefully come into place very soon, outside of Formula 1.
Are you able to elaborate on that?
My next plan is to start my own racing team in GP3. That’s like a big passion of mine. Hopefully with my own brand, Verstappen.com racing, we can build something really beautiful.
The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is crucial in Formula 1. How do you work with your engineer to fine-tune the car and develop a setup that maximises your performance on track?
A lot of this depends on your relationship together and the experience you build up together. So from year one to now, you see a big difference. Like, my engineer knows what I need from the car. We almost don’t even need to discuss what we’re going to change for the car because we have all those and are heading in the right direction. But this [relationship] is something that is not always very easy to build up. I think I’ve been very lucky with the engineer I got at the team.
You’ve experienced both triumphs and challenges during your time in Formula 1. How do you handle setbacks and keep pushing forward?
To stay very neutral in the highs and the lows. I mean, yeah, you have bad days, you have good days, but at the end of the day, you just have to keep on working, keep on trying to improve, keep on trying to learn more. And that’s why just staying very neutral in all of it is very important.
As a driver, you face a lot of pressure in races. How do you ensure that you remain neutral?
I don’t know, I always kind of had that. I was never really too worried about things. And I enjoy what I’m doing. I think that helps a lot. And having the right people around you to support you — I think that helps a lot as well.
Formula 1 is constantly evolving with new regulations and technological advancements. How do you adapt your driving style and approach to stay competitive in such a rapidly changing sport?
All of this has to do also with experience over time. I’ve driven a lot of different racing cars. But sometimes it goes a bit easier than other times. I think so far, it’s been going quite well.
Throughout your career, you’ve had the opportunity to race alongside and compete against some legendary drivers. Who is your favourite driver to race against so far?
Favourite… I don’t know if I have a favourite. But there are a lot of great drivers whom I’ve raced and am racing against.
How do you relax during your off-time and do you have a favourite type of car when you’re not racing?
Honestly, I’m just trying to spend time with family and friends, trying to catch up because I am away so much. Besides that, I don’t really drive a lot in road cars because I live in Monaco where you don’t really need a car that much. As to my favourite car: There are different needs, right? Like, if you want to have a performance car [and so on], there are a lot of different options.