Verstappen more than ready for winter break after long 2022 F1 season
Nov.21 - Max Verstappen's father says the back-to-back reigning world champion is more than ready for the winter break.
"Try not to do too much," Max, 25, smiled when asked what he has planned for the short break that now lies ahead before the 2023 season gets into full swing.
Ultimately, in the Abu Dhabi finale, Verstappen achieved his personal mission of extending his now outright all-time record of wins in a single season - 15.
Race winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing performs a celebratory donuts during the 2022 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit
Red Bull's mission, ultimately came up short - first but also second in the drivers' standings.
In Brazil, Verstappen stirred up a huge pot of controversy by refusing to obey the team's request for him to move over for Sergio Pérez.
At the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, the Mexican fell 3 points short of beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to second overall in the drivers' championship.
In Abu Dhabi, Verstappen once again did not actively help Perez.
"You can possibly block but is that fair racing?" the Dutchman said afterwards. "I think it's not the nicest to end the season."
Max's father Jos, meanwhile, said there was not a lot his son could have done for Perez anyway.
"Everyone was of course watching the fight between second and third in the championship," he told Viaplay. "But for me, of course Max was the most important.
"15 victories in a year is so rare so we really have to enjoy that."
Dutch F1 GP boss Jan Lammers, meanwhile, thinks Perez simply did not do enough to get himself into second overall in the championship.
"Perez drove quite fast times in the second stint, but then his tyres just died," he told NOS. "Max drove personal fastest times in the last laps, so you can see that he just handled it much better.
"Sure, you can be angry that others don't give you second place in the championship, but at some point you have to do it yourself," Lammers added. "I just thought it was a normal racing situation."
Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko agrees that Perez "just pushed a little too hard in the first stint".
"That meant we had to bring him earlier than we planned," he told Servus TV. "We were also quite surprised that Ferrari's strategy worked. We hadn't taken that into account at all.
"There was also the overtaking manoeuvre with Hamilton, otherwise it should have been enough," Marko added. "In the end we have to be satisfied with the result and the rest of the year.
"It's a shame with Perez, but when the question of swapping places in Brazil comes up, we can now see that it would have been useless because Leclerc had more wins than Checo."
Perez also insisted he is not angry about the situation anymore.
"It's just like that sometimes," he told Sky Deutschland when asked about missing out on second overall.
"In the end I'm happy - we gave everything, I gave everything. We had great moments and fights.
"I've had problems with tyre management quite a few times this season so hopefully that's something we'll improve for next year. I'm sure we'll come back even stronger."
Finally, Jos Verstappen said his son Max is more than ready for a break after another long and intense season both on and off the track.
"Once he had the title, the pressure was off and it made it less exciting," he said. "I don't do nearly as much as Max and he's kind of done with it now."
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Probably everyone is more than ready for a break.
It must be very exhausting traveling the world all year, exercise every day to stay in shape, having lot of sponsor meetings, being recognized everywhere you set foot outside and people hating your guts or do everything to become your friend. Just the thought alone makes me tired.
I think the financial recompense makes it just about bearable, or do i see that wrong, heh they've got 103 days off now what more do they want, jam on it?
Yeah, poor babies. I bet there might be a few people willing to take their place. If there is any sympathy to give it is for the boys and girls in the pit and paddock. A few of them make good money but most not so much, and their travel conditions and work schedule is demanding, but still only 9 mos. per year. Guess I'd say if you don't want to cook, get out of the kitchen.
Put their lives at risk every time though.
I see both sides. Money coming forth, buying whatever makes you happy. Not a bad life for a young person. However, on the opposite side of the coin, living an incredible structured life, watch what you eat all the time, training constantly, no days off. Continually meeting and talking to people. Sell your life for an enormous amount of money. Only available to the very few. Not for everybody.
Susan, there is one more side, the racer's side. These guys get to race friggin' Formula One cars. Sacrifices, sure, but racing an F1 car, priceless.
Indeed ROR, the racing and driving of that F1 car will make it all very worthwhile.
Lala spends zero time at the factory we know that and like all driver's leave the races in a pvt jet I'll bet only a few hrs after a race they are at home so they get days away from the circus for sure remember Kimi and his boat in Monaco
I’m quite sure it is a dream come true to be able to drive an F1 car, especially MV. However, I’m also sure, they are happy to get a break from all of it, as well. A lot of physical and emotional work goes into a season and even F1 drivers need to get away.