Verstappen looks ahead to the final part: 'Important to be ready for that'
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F1 News
- Nicole Mulder
Max Verstappen admits he is happy to rest more during the Formula 1 season and enjoy his free time. When the sport returns with the United States Grand Prix towards the end of October, the teams and drivers would've had nearly a month break since the previous race. Verstappen looks ahead to the final six races of the year and notices a difference in himself compared to the beginning of his F1 career.
Verstappen: 'Important to be ready for that'
This year's Singapore GP was followed by a four-week break. After the first tripleheader in America, another break will follow before the drivers travel to Las Vegas. This event starts the final triple header of the season. "This year it's a bit different where we do some races then have a break. Then the last part of the season comes very quickly with the tripleheaders kicking in. It's important to be ready for it, but also to take your time at home and rest up inbetween," Verstappen said in Pirelli's Box Box podcast.
These days, the three-time world champion mainly needs rest rather than speed in his private life. "It is actually more important to take the speed out and relax, be slow," he explained. He does not miss the adrenaline during times when there is no racing. "Maybe seven or eight years ago. But now, slowly, you want to take your rest. You don't think about racing too much and take time off."
The 27-year-old Dutchman explains how differently he experiences racing now than at the beginning of his career. "As soon as you jump back in the car, you know it's going to be quick. So you are prepared for it. But I remember the first time I jumped into a Formula 1 car, it was almost like I couldn't keep up with the speed because I never experienced it," Verstappen says. "Your body gets used to it more and more, but it's quite a shock at the beginning."
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton