Each of the recent F1 seasons have featured 20 drivers and with that also come 20 different personalities. Max Verstappen over the years has developed an aggressive personality because of how hard he races on the track but what often goes unnoticed is his sense of humor when he is not racing.
During an interview back in 2017, the Dutchman was asked about his car by Sky Sports F1 analyst Ted Kravitz and if he had named it after a woman like most of the F1 drivers do. In reply, Verstappen said,
“Everybody names the car a girl. I’m like no, it’s a guy. Why should it be a girl?”
He then hilariously added that his car was dealing with puberty at the start of the season as he had difficulty with the handling of the RB13. “In the beginning of the year, he was being a bit of a difficult person … Puberty,” he remarked.
Max: Everybody names the car a girl. I’m like no, it’s a guy. Why should it be a girl?
Ted: Anyway, he (his car) didn’t let you down?
Max: No, no. he was nice to me.
In the beginning of the year, he was being a bit of a difficult person … Puberty.— zax (@maybezax) November 7, 2024
With the advent of sports broadcasting, fans are able to get a more human peak into the lives and personalities of these drivers. Naming a car is yet another tradition that makes the sport more believable for the fans to get attached to.
While the teams have an official code for naming the cars each season, drivers like Sebastian Vettel make the matter more human. The former Red Bull and Ferrari driver had a habit of naming his cars.
That said, his final F1 car — the AMR22 — is the only car he’s not named. When quizzed why, he had said mid-season that year that he was waiting for the car to get a bit better in terms of performance before christening her.
