Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen opened up on the grind it takes to compete at the very top of the championship in a recent interview as he revealed that he has the habit of hitting the simulator
at odd hours in order to test out ideas that pop into his head.
“Sometimes when I’m competing, I can wake up in the middle of the night with some ideas and I need to test it, I can’t wait” the Dutchman said.
“I wake up and turn on the simulator at like 3am” he revealed.
McLaren’s Lando Norris edged out the Red Bull star to claim the title in dramatic fashion at the Abu Dhabi GP, amassing 423 points over the season and surpassing Verstappen’s 421 points for Red Bull. Norris acknowledged the addictive taste of victory but added he seeks to enjoy the moment rather than getting ahead of himself.
Despite Verstappen’s determined effort to erode Norris’s 102-point lead from earlier in the season, the Brit ultimately triumphed after a strong performance throughout the year. In stark contrast, Norris’s fellow Briton, Hamilton, faced his first season without a podium finish during his debut campaign with Ferrari.
The seven-time champion’s impressive record in the top tier suffered a significant blow as he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Meanwhile, Sainz elevated Williams to a fifth-place finish in the championship, securing two podium finishes and helping the team accumulate 137 points by the year’s end.
Sainz has a history of improving the teams he races for. During his time with Renault, he saw the team rise from ninth place in his debut season in 2016 to fourth place by 2018. With McLaren, he helped the team move from sixth place in 2018 to third in 2020. His subsequent move to Ferrari saw him assist the legendary team in climbing from sixth place to second before his departure last year.
