“Here to drive and to race” – Reigning champion Max Verstappen wants to focus on on-field engagements as he aims to beat Ferrari during this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen is a no-nonsense driver, who never minces his words. He has already snubbed Netflix for their overly-dramatic Drive to Survive series.
This time, it is off-field engagements in Australia which is taking a backseat, as the Dutchman focuses on what he does best – driving, racing, and winning.
“Even if there is no COVID for sure I’m not going to do more on weekends because I’m there to race, I’m not there to entertain the crowds. I’ll entertain them by doing that on the track.
“Otherwise you get upset, you don’t feel good and it’s going to hurt your performance. So you need to just keep it exactly the same, the same approach as other race weekends. You need the right people around you as well to manage you in that.
“Of course, at one point as a driver you know what you need to feel good in the car and you really know how many commitments you can do on a weekend.
“But you should be able to say ‘no’ to certain commitments. At the end of the day, you are here to drive and to race because that’s what you live for and what you get paid to do.”
Thank you for the warm welcome fans, great to be back here after such a long time 📍🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/0872TtJL94
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 7, 2022
Will Daniel Ricciardo score points in his home race?
Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t had a great time of late with McLaren, but will expect to score big in his home race, returning to the F1 calendar after a gap of two seasons.
Unlike Verstappen, the Aussie enjoys embracing his fanbase, but his former Red Bull teammate hopes he gets some time off for himself, and to enjoy his racing.
“I always felt sorry for him because he was always so busy. He actually never really got to fully enjoy it.
“Maybe he manages it differently now but I remember when he was here it was tough, he was super busy in the week leading up to the grand prix.
“So I hope for him that at least he can enjoy it a bit more now because I think it is very special to have a home grand prix.”
