WITH time heavily on his side, Dutch teenager Max Verstappen could end his career as the most decorated Formula One driver of all-time. But his other focus right now is blitzing the career mode on PlayStation game Fifa 17.
“I like to play the ultimate team option so you can buy players and select your own side,” Verstappen enthuses with all the gusto of an ordinary computer-loving 19-year-old, and not one of sport’s brightest young stars.
“They update the charts every week with new players so you try to buy them and you get coins for winning matches.
“I don’t play the racing games. I play people all over the world at Fifa and they would not know it is me because my name is completely different online.”
Verstappen controversially made his debut in 2015 – some said he was too young – but a year later he became the sport’s youngest ever winner. He also holds records for the youngest driver to score points, finish on the podium and set a fastest lap. Sebastian Vettel won the first of his four titles aged only 23. With Verstappen still six months away from his twenties, it will be another record that the Red Bull driver has in his sights.
“If I have the car I can challenge for the title,” Verstappen says. But will it be this year? “I don’t know yet. I try to play everything down and we will see what happens during the season.
“I don’t think we are the strongest team, but I am pretty confident we can develop the car over the year. I don’t set any expectations. I just jump in the car, enjoy myself and then we will see.”
It is a mantra which has suited Verstappen, who finished sixth in practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, well. He has swiftly become the most talked about driver since Lewis Hamilton, ruffling the established order with his thrill-a-minute driving (his performance in the wet in Brazil last year was one for the ages) and pushing the letter of the law like no other driver in recent history.
So much so, that a perturbed Vettel led calls for the governing body to clamp down on what he deemed as dangerous driving by the Dutchman and the so-called Verstappen law – which forebode drivers from moving under braking – was introduced last year. It has since been abolished for the new campaign which kicks off in Melbourne tomorrow.
In Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull boast one of the punchiest driver line-ups on the grid, too. But the pair revel in one another’s company. Earlier this week they joked about sharing bedrooms at race weekends and on Thursday they strode together along the paddock to pose for their pre-season portraits. The only team-mates to do so.
“We are pretty open and we understand each other,” Verstappen added. “We try to win on track, but off track Daniel is very open, and happy and that is always nice.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here