In a recent interview with Tom Clarkson, Max Verstappen was asked to name one track that he would want to have back on the F1 calendar. And without giving much of a thought, the Dutchman replied Mugello.
The scenic track lies in the Tuscany region of Italy. Known for its fast corners, Verstappen is also attracted to the track for the same reason. “Just flowing tracks. So not too many like low-speed stop-start. Just flowing fast corners”, he explained.
“So it’s the permanent tracks for you. It’s the Mugello’s, the Silverstone’s, the Zandvoort’s, the Spa’s, right?” Clarkson asked further. In reply, Verstappen added “Suzuka” too.
Max Verstappen, Mugello’da Ferrari 296 GT3’ü test etti.pic.twitter.com/nIY3sjtMtv
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The last time Mugello was on the F1 calendar was in 2020 when the entire world was struck by COVID-19. The pandemic forced several venues to pull out of the calendar, and Mugello replaced one of the tracks on an ad-hoc basis to fill in the championship events.
The track instantly appealed to fans and drivers for the spectacles on the broadcast. The sole race was named the Tuscan Grand Prix, and it was full of crashes, where Verstappen was one of the victims.
While Verstappen didn’t gain any success in his sole visit to Mugello, his general liking of fast corners made him like it. However, there are some circuits that he dislikes.
Verstappen doesn’t like ovals
Formula 1 so far has kept itself away from ovals, unlike NASCAR and IndyCar. But when asked about the prospects of racing in them, especially in an F1 car, Verstappen was quick to say no to it.
Clarkson recalled his liking for Zandvoort, which has elevations like on an oval at turn four and the last corner. In response, Verstappen said, “Yeah, no, not for me.”
F1 goes oval racing! | Onboard with Max Verstappen at the Honda Test Facility
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The 27-year-old is a huge fan of several motorsports. He even races at ovals on his sim, but he isn’t keen on racing either in NASCAR or IndyCar in real life. For him, it is not “worth risking his life.”
But at the same time, he is looking forward to taking up Endurance racing one day. Le Mans is one of the destinations he would really like to compete in some day. There are chances that he might team up with his father Jos Verstappen, who is still active in the racing scene.