After last weekend’s face-off with George Russell, Max Verstappen may consider switching to a sport that allows for a little bit of thrashing. In F1, it’s rare to see drivers get into a brawl; all because of the extremely classy nature of the sport, fist fights are a strict no-no. In fact, even Verstappen’s exchange with Russell would be overlooked in most sports. But in F1, that was a big deal.
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As a result, Verstappen keeps his “Mad Max” personality caged in as much as he can. While it often slips through, imagine his potential in a more aggressive sport like NASCAR.
Talking to Dan Katz and PMT Commenter on the Pardon My Take podcast, Verstappen reached an epiphany. Maybe he was in the wrong place.
Max Verstappen contemplates NASCAR switch
When asked if drivers fight after a nasty crash or unfriendly on-track experience, Sergio Perez chuckled. He asked the hosts, “You didn’t see the last sprint race?”
As Verstappen smiled and took a guilty sip from his Red Bull, Perez said, “You should watch it.” While Verstappen innocently countered that nothing went down, the Red Bull champion answered the original question in an attempt to change the topic. “It depends ’cause how bad you really want to say something or question it.”
However, Perez wouldn’t let go. “He had a word with one of the drivers after the race. But it doesn’t get like in NASCAR; they properly fight.” And thus, Verstappen had his eureka moment. Deadpan, he stated, “I’m in the wrong sport.”
When asked if he would seriously consider fighting other drivers, Verstappen explained that he was only joking; if he’d actually admit to that, it would be all over the internet.
Pondering over the option, though, Verstappen pointed out why he could never fight someone in F1, no matter how tempting. In NASCAR, it’s a possibility. Grabbing Checo’s collar, he demonstrated, “It’s not allowed. I mean even if you grab someone like that, you get, already, two days of homework.”
Reflecting on his infamous physical altercation with Esteban Ocon back in 2018, Verstappen smirked, “I’ve done that already so..”
A hardcore motorsport fan, one can only imagine how Verstappen would fare in NASCAR. No one would survive! Drivers with bloody noses, and broken garage walls? Maybe it’s best we keep our Dutch Lion in F1, where the drivers are already scared of him on the track.
