Out of all the drivers in F1 today, Max Verstappen is often regarded as the most aggressive. His style of driving and his personality on the track has drawn in both praise and a fair amount of criticism in the past. Often, the latter has affected his reputation, with people calling him out in public and on social media. Dax Shepard, however, jumped in to defend Verstappen and gave fans an account as to what kind of person he actually is.
F1 drivers have to be competitive when they are on the track. This means that emotions often get the better of them, and Verstappen has often vented his frustration and anger on the team radio in an aggressive fashion. Fans who listen to these, often feel that Verstappen is the same kind of person off the track too.
The way Verstappen is perceived by most fans, however, couldn’t be further away from the truth. Adrenaline may get the better of his emotions in F1 but away from the sport, Dax Shepard reveals how nice of a person he can be.
Dax Shepard sheds light on Max Verstappen’s true personality
Shepard is a huge fan of F1 and is often a very active member of the community. Through his connections and from the first-hand account of other stars, he paints a picture of Verstappen that is very different from what we are used to seeing and hearing about.
“He is super sweet,” the 48-year-old said on the Red Flags Podcast. “Like from other drivers that have gone to dinner with him. He is really shy and really sweet. I think the persona on track isn’t him at all if you know him socially.”
Shepard spoke about how Verstappen is a different person when someone meets him away from F1. However, there have been times when the vast majority of the fanbase agreed with the criticism which he rightly received due to his antics.
Controversial Max Verstappen moments
Back in 2020, after an on-track incident involving Lance Stroll, Verstappen was furious, and resorted to racially abusing the then Racing Point driver. He took damage to his car and said, “I have damage. What a Mongol. I swear.” In the immediate aftermath, he faced a lot of backlash, but soon, matters got out of hand.
It became an international issue when the Mongolian government demanded an apology from Verstappen. The Dutch driver did regret his actions and explained in a press conference, that he didn’t intend to hurt anyone.
He has also been involved in altercations with drivers like Esteban Ocon, whom he shoved on the paddock in Sao Paolo back in 2018. On the very same track, his reputation of not being a team player came under the spotlight when he didn’t allow his teammate Sergio Perez to pass him in 2022, despite having the championship under his belt.
However, it is safe to say that over the last few years, Verstappen has really matured as a competitor. He doesn’t get into as many altercations or fights as he did in the past, and winning two world titles has calmed his nerves.
