Max Verstappen's private comment to Sky Sports F1 commentator just sums Red Bull driver up

Max Verstappen’s private conversation with Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft perfectly summed up the Red Bull star’s drive and work ethic. The Dutchman recently won his third consecutive world championship but is still putting the hours in behind the scenes, even though he has little to fight for in the final few races of the season.

The 26-year-old won the last three races in Austin, Brazil and Las Vegas but despite having been afforded a two-week gap between the two events, did not join some of his fellow drivers on the grid by taking a short break from the sport.

Instead, Croft revealed that Verstappen headed to Red Bull’s base in the UK to get some more minutes into the simulator and keep training before heading to Sin City.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Croft explained: “I said to Max, I had a little chat with him in Austin, I said: ‘What’s your schedule like for the next few weeks?’ and he was telling me he was going here, going there. I said: ‘Bit of a rest though between Brazil and Las Vegas?’

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“He said: ‘No, I am going back to Milton Keynes. I am going to be in the sim for a couple of days.’ I said: ‘Why? You’re world champion.’ He said: ‘I would kick myself if I didn’t do it, if I didn’t put the effort in and I came to Vegas and I didn’t win’. And that’s the dedication that makes you a champion.”

Few would have blamed Verstappen for getting complacent, having dominated the entire season by claiming 18 wins out of a potential 22. His Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez took two and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was victorious in Singapore, but the Dutchman had the title wrapped up weeks ago and has double the amount of points than second-placed Perez in the Drivers’ Championship.