Verstappen: Success in sports does not define my life

In an interview with Formula1.nl, Max Verstappen hardly spoke about racing…

Q: Let’s start with football. You have been a PSV fan for years and joked that you would trade a season in Formula 1 for PSV to win the Champions League…
Max Verstappen: My father’s performances were sponsored by Philips. He was regularly invited to competitions, he took me with him, so everything went naturally. PSV is closer to me than, for example, Ajax. The mentality in Amsterdam is different from the warmth at PSV. Limburg, where I come from, is closer to PSV both geographically and in terms of mentality.

Question: Last year you sang a snippet of “Green Green Grass of Home” on team radio. Does music play an important role in your life?
Max Verstappen: No. I hardly listen to music. I know many people listen to music before a race to calm down or relax. I do not need it. Sometimes the radio plays in the car, but that’s it. I don’t listen to music while exercising, and I don’t like wearing headphones while running.

The TV is usually on at home. I don’t need music to create atmosphere. Little Penelope (Kelly Pique’s daughter) or my cats, who terrorize each other, help much better with this.

Q: You’re not very active on social networks…
Max Verstappen: Yes, I think my personal life should not be public.

I don’t follow accounts of people related to Formula 1, Formula 1 news doesn’t appear in my feed. I follow other sports to find some balance in my life. When I’m at home, I don’t want to know what’s happening in the paddock.

Question: Are you still worried before the start? Last year the title came to you relatively easily…
Max Verstappen: Nothing has changed for me. I try to give my best every race weekend so that I can look at myself in the mirror and say I gave it my all.

Formula 1 is great, being successful is great, but that’s not all. It is important to understand this. Success in sports does not define my entire life. This approach worked before.