Max Verstappen Reveals F1 Race That Almost Left Him in Tears

Max Verstappen reminisces about the race that almost left him in tears as he achieved a massive feat as well that day.

Max Verstappen Reveals F1 Race That Almost Left Him in Tears

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Max Verstappen is a very straightforward guy when it comes to racing. The Dutchman rarely shows any emotions and showcases a cold attitude. However, Verstappen wasn’t always the same as he had a lot of emotional moments in the pinnacle of motorsport in the past during his debut days. As such, the reigning world champion recalls the time when he was almost left in tears.

Max Verstappen joined Formula 1 at a very young age, notably being the youngest driver to ever participate in the sport. This meant that the Dutchman wasn’t exactly the most mature driver on the grid back then. Still, he controlled himself well and did not falter in terms of performance against veteran drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and many others.

Verstappen moved to Red Bull mid-way through the 2016 season, replacing Daniil Kvyat. This meant that there was a lot of argument behind the then 17-year-old’s move to Milton Keynes. The four-time champion won his debut race with Milton Keynes and hence suffered a rollercoaster of emotions.

The 27-year-old recalled that he did not expect to win his Red Bull debut race at the Spanish GP. Max Verstappen was new to the team, and his promotion to the main team saw a lot of criticism as well. The reason for this was that everyone believed the move to be premature. As such, winning the race meant that the Dutchman was very emotional right after the celebration ended. Verstappen pointed out that while he isn’t the emotional type, he was very close to crying at the race weekend that night.

I did not expected that victory at all. I was new to the team and there had been some criticism of my promotion to Red Bull beforehand, because people thought it was all too soon. I was very emotional shortly after the race. By nature, I’m not an emotional type, but what I felt after the race was very close to crying.

Max Verstappen told Formula 1 Magazine

Max Verstappen reveals ‘most cherished moment’ of 2016 Spanish GP

Max Verstappen’s maiden victory with Red Bull in Spain was an extremely impressive feat, especially due to his being just over 18 years old. Moreover, Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, was present at the race as well, which meant a great deal to the debutant. Now, the Dutchman pinpointed the exact moment that he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Max and Jos Verstappen
Max Verstappen and Jos Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Verstappen asserted that he would always cherish the moment when he stood strong on the podium and looked down to see his father and long-time manager Raymond Vermeulen watching him in awe. The four-time champion reminisced that he achieved his dream that day and would never be able to forget the feeling. He even revealed that he couldn’t sleep that night due to the adrenaline rush of winning his first race in the pinnacle of motorsport.

My most cherished memory of that weekend is the moment on the podium, looking down, seeing my father and Raymond stand there, and realizing: We did it! Because this was always the dream. I also remember that I didn’t sleep much the night after the race. I had a bit too much water (laughs).

Max Verstappen noted

Since then, Verstappen has come a very long way and achieved 65 impressive race wins. The Dutchman had also pointed out that he achieved everything he wanted from the sport and didn’t want anything more. Still, the 27-year-old is likely to race in Formula 1 for a couple of years more as he is likely to etch his name in the record books as one of the greatest drivers.

Also Read: Max Verstappen Confesses He’d Get a ‘Heart Attack’ over Reliving Duel Against Lewis Hamilton at 2021 Abu Dhabi GP