Verstappen: I won’t be in Formula 1 in 15 years

Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix by a wide margin despite only starting 14th and was asked after the race to explain how he was doing. He also emphasized that he will not play in Formula 1 forever…

Q: Can you say you got the biggest advantage in all 155 Grand Prix of your career this weekend?
Max Verstappen: Perhaps, if you remember how the whole Belgian weekend went, I’m willing to agree. From the first practice the car was incredibly fast. I don’t think we expected this. But sometimes there are pleasant surprises, and that’s a good thing.

It’s really cool to drive a car like this on the track in Spa. Although of course we understood that when starting from 14th position we would have to overcome certain difficulties.

It wasn’t easy to avoid problems on the first lap, but we managed to do it, even though a lot happened for me on the track. But then everything calmed down thanks to the appearance of the safety car, after which I overtook one almost every lap. When I got to 3rd position I saw that the Soft tires I started on were still in good condition and I thought we had a good chance of winning.

Q: You said you didn’t expect the car to be so fast. Do you think you added it, or is everything explained by the track’s features?
Max Verstappen: I think we have a very efficient machine. In addition, the Belgian circuit might suit her perfectly. At the same time, I know that in some circuits where we have yet to compete, there will still be a few difficulties, so I foresee an interesting fight with Ferrari.

Q: You took the lead on lap 12 despite having a safety car on track for a few laps. Did you lead the race even earlier than expected?
Max Verstappen: To be honest, I didn’t even think about it on Saturday. I just wanted to have a better race, although I understood that if you can avoid problems on the first lap, everything can turn out well after that. But I had absolutely no idea in which round I would make it to 1st position, because that is in principle unimaginable.

Q: Do you think that after a week at Zandvoort you no longer have such an advantage over Ferrari?
Max Verstappen: Yes, I’m not counting on it. There is a different track configuration, you need more downforce and there are fewer straights. Surely there the results will be closer.

Q: You said the first round was quite chaotic – tell us how it developed? Especially about those moments when you had to react quickly to something…
Max Verstappen: The first lap… You know, of course I knew we had a fast car, so I wanted to avoid unnecessary risks. And that made the task even more difficult. Several riders left the track, came back, naturally trying to protect their position. So I literally had to dodge other cars. But I didn’t want to lose too much time.

In addition, Lewis Hamilton was in the lead – I don’t know, apparently his car was damaged, but in my opinion he held everyone back. Someone, trying to get ahead of him, went off the track and I preferred to take the inner lane, but eventually Lewis stopped on the side of the road – he did the right thing, of course, but I had to move to the left.

In general there was enough fuss, besides that there was a lot of dirt being dragged on the track and I even had to tear off the protective film from the visor as it was covered in dust and I could barely see anything. In the previous sector, almost all the cars were on grass or gravel, but we were still lucky – we overcame everything without damaging the car.

Q: Sergio Perez is known for his ability to conserve rubber, but your first stint on soft tires was longer than his first stint on Medium. How did you do it?
Max Verstappen: In my opinion, I always work well with tires, not just today. Maybe people didn’t pay attention to it. Everything is explained by understanding the properties of rubber, experience, the ability to select the optimal settings for the machine. Sometimes she responds better, sometimes worse. For example, you may remember Austria where we had a hard time, but we came to certain conclusions and tried to apply this experience.

Q: After winning the championship last year, you said new titles would be a nice bonus. Judging by the way you performed in the Belgian Grand Prix, this year you have been able to add significantly…
Max Verstappen: I think we are getting more experienced every year, but in my opinion it is impossible to compare the seasons. The cars have become completely different, they require a different approach to driving, although I agree that we are more competitive now than we were at this stage of the championship a year ago. Obviously this helps in the battle for victory.

You see, last year around this time Mercedes was stronger than us. Of course we won a few more wins, but they weren’t always related to the speed of the car – only the team always acted very effectively. However, I repeat: it is better not to compare the seasons.

Q: Can you tell us when you’re done celebrating the win in the Belgian Grand Prix and you’re starting to prepare for the home race in Zandvoort?
Max Verstappen: To be honest, I’m ready for Zandvoort already. Of course we will celebrate success after the race, but then I will go back home to Monaco and there I will not think too much about Formula 1. It could be better. We think we are well prepared, but on Friday everything will become clear when we start working on the track.

Q: The Belgian Grand Prix has remained on the calendar and will be held again in Spa in 2023. Do you like it? And to what extent did the riders’ opinions influence this decision?
Max Verstappen: I hope so, because Spa is my favorite track on the championship calendar. It’s just great, especially when you’re driving a great car – that’s how it was in qualifying, and I enjoyed it a lot. Of course I hope we will come here every year, although the decisions are not made by me. And yet I am very happy that this race is on the calendar next year.

Q: You were the youngest driver to make his Formula 1 debut and became the youngest Grand Prix winner. Can you imagine continuing to win races in 15 years? Fernando Alonso continues to play in the championship at the age of 40…
Max Verstappen: I won’t be at the World Cup in 15 years. I can’t imagine playing until my 40s – at least in Formula 1. I would like to do other things. But for now I plan to spend a few more years in F1.