F1 drivers saw hype around Verstappen: 'Even before F1 debut'

Verstappen has perhaps been the most talked-about and written-about star in the last eight or nine years in the top class of motorsport. But even before that, there was certainly a certain amount of hype, according to Sainz.

"I think if there was something that Max never lacked it was hype around him. I think he had the hype even well before his debut in Formula 1. When he was in F3, he had a lot of following already. I think his first year in F1, he came in and stormed F1 and had a lot of following behind him. It doesn't surprise me at all. Since I debuted with him in 2015, which is now nine years ago, it's a lot of time, eight years ago, I've always seen that hype and I've always understood it because obviously he's a special talent and someone that is performing really, really well since the beginning," the Ferrari driver said.

Many fans for Verstappen

Gasly echoes Sainz's words. "It was clear already from a very young age when we raced in karting. The hype around him was already very different to any other driver. It was clear going up the ranks that there was more attention, more focus driven by the name, the performances. All the hype around Jos and Max's relationship. So, it was no surprise. The way that he came to Formula 1 and performed and switched to Red Bull just amplified everything that followed."

The Frenchman from Alpine continued by saying that it does indeed seem that Verstappen is on all fours in his home country thanks to his achievements. "Especially in The Netherlands, from an outside point of view, he seems to be pretty much the icon of the country. It explains why 99.9% of the grandstands are full of orange when we come to Zandvoort."