Verstappen: There’s nothing like the very first win

Max Verstappen is well aware of the joy of winning – he has topped the podium 29 times in his Formula 1 career, winning the title last year. Everything revolves around the Dutch driver Red Bull Racing becoming world champion again this season, because his lead in the individual classification is already approaching one hundred points.

If this happens, Max will of course be very happy, but according to him, nothing beats the excitement he experienced in Barcelona in May 2016, when he took his first-ever win.

“After all, I think the very first win has provided the most vivid emotional experiences,” RaceFans quoted Verstappen as saying. – You can’t talk about last year’s victory in Abu Dhabi, it was crazy there, because then I was able to win the first title. But in terms of the level of delight, nothing compares to the very first success.

After all, I dreamed of this for so long and finally the dream came true. At first you think, “Will I ever get on stage? If I can, it will be great! And then of course it just so happened that I was on the podium for the first time when I took the first win. It was a really crazy day that I will never forget.”

He said he had a calm attitude before the start of the 2022 championship, also because it was difficult to say what the balance of power in the championship would be.

“This season we have new cars and when I was preparing for it, it was not clear if we managed to build a good car? said Max. “But I was very calm. Last year I said: anything that happens after my first title can already be considered a bonus. Fortunately, the team has built a very good car.

Of course I want to win races. I get angry when something doesn’t work. But now, even if this happens, the experience isn’t that painful, because I’ve already won my first championship – that was my goal…”