It’s no surprise Daniel Ricciardo has an ever-growing list of friends. From movie stars to his crew in America, his group in Aussie, and even his best friend Max Verstappen, on the F1 grid. However, with multiple friends comes great power- holding secrets.
One of his American friends includes comedian and podcaster Dax Shepard, who recently released the first episode of his new F1 podcast, eff won. In the episode, he and his friends discuss the Bahrain GP, and the conversation moved to Max Verstappen.
The dark side of the Dutch Lion, Max Verstappen
Shepard teases in the conversation. “Rumor from the people that I know personally is that our boy Max does not train.” Motorsport pundit Jethro Bovingdon adds in, “he likes to drink as well!” Could Ricciardo have exposed his best bud’s top secret?
Also read: Lewis Hamilton Is Confident Max Verstappen Will Win His Third Title In 2023
Giggling about the 25-year-old’s behavior Shepard takes Verstappen’s private plane as an example. “With the tail number ’33 DTF’. His number and down to f*ck. He’s telling you exactly what’s up.”
As the group lets out a chuckle, more incidents pile on. Digging through his Verstappen’s Instagram, they try to break down a video of the champion training. Arguing that as a response to the criticism of him not putting in the work, the opinion was that it was a hoax. “It’s hard to imagine it’s real! He must’ve been making a joke but it’s not funny enough to be a joke!” the video in question:
The top-level athlete’s odd training routine leaves the podcasters baffled and in disbelief. Trying to make sense of what looks like a chicken dance and some light lifting, Verstappen has some questions to answer, and soon.
Verstappen shares a glimpse into his training routine
Verstappen, the 25-year-old Red Bull star, sets his sights on a target weight of 163 lbs during the season. However, during the winter break, he indulges in some guilty pleasures and gains a whopping 22 lbs. But Verstappen sees this as an opportunity to push himself harder in the lead-up to the season.
While most drivers maintain a constant weight all year round, Verstappen prefers to let loose for a month and enjoy his favorite foods and drinks. He then amps up his training to shed the extra pounds and get back to his ideal weight. “I like to hurt myself a bit then,” he admits.
Weight has become a hot topic in F1, with teams striving to reduce the weight of their cars for a competitive edge. But for Verstappen, the one-month indulgence has become a crucial part of his process. “That car [RB19] was more overweight than the kilos I gained,” he jokes. In a sport with so many restrictions, weight remains one aspect that teams can fully control.
