Max Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet claims the Dutchman is not interested in fame or material things and is very modest. The Red Bull driver dominantly won the 2022 F1 season, rewriting the history books with 15 victories last season.
2022 was Max Verstappen’s year, with the Dutchman taking the title with four races remaining and in dominant fashion. The Red Bull driver was unbeatable on the track and was able to pull off some stellar performances thanks to his team having understood the 2022 aero regulations better than most others on the grid. The team were able to stop Ferrari from dominating the season as they looked to be the strongest in the first half of last year.
Meanwhile, Forbes mentioned that the two-time world champion earned roughly around 60$ million in 2022, mostly through bonuses. Despite his bank account being full, Kelly Piquet claims the 25-year-old is not interested in money or fame. In an interview with Vogue Magazine Netherlands, Piquet spoke about Verstappen, saying:
“He remains so modest, he stands firmly with both feet on the ground. He’s shown everyone that he really deserves it: he’s the driver who makes the fewest mistakes on the racetrack right now, he’s very consistent. He is confident and not interested in fame or material things.”
Max Verstappen compares 2022 and 2021 F1 cars
Comparing the 2022 and 2021 Formula 1 cars, Max Verstappen called the newer ones ‘lazy’. The sport introduced a new aerodynamic philosophy this past season, making the cars heavier.
F1’s new aerodynamic philosophy fundamentally changed the way cars generate downforce. The newer cars now rely on ‘ground effect’ to generate the bulk of their downforce, leading to a host of new designs from the teams.
As a result, newer cars were heavier and not as ‘snappy’ as their predecessors, making them ‘lazier’ to drive in Verstappen’s eyes. Comparing the two generations of cars, the Dutchman said in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365:
“Last year’s car was more agile because the weight was down. The visibility was a lot better on the front axle, but to be honest, in the high-speed corners, these cars are fine, but in the low-speed, they are a bit lazy.”
The Red Bull driver further said:
“At high speed, they are quite stable, whereas last year’s car was a bit more twitchy, but again in the low speed, the weight really takes over. It is a bit of a shame, but at the end of the day, the cars were made for better racing and they deliver that.”
Red Bull have been hit with harsh penalties for their ‘minor breach’ of the 2021 cost cap, jeopardizing Max Verstappen’s 2023 title defense. If his form is anything to go by, however, we can expect some more brilliant drives from the 25-year-old in 2023.
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