The current F1 World Champion and Red Bull ace Max Verstappen helped his team to get back their hegemony after eight years of Mercedes domination. Albeit the Dutch driver won the 2021 Driver’s title, the Austrian outfit could not beat Mercedes that year. However, since 2022, the Milton Keynes team has been unstoppable. They have won back-to-back championships and broken several records. Last year was unbelievable in terms of the Austrian team’s domination. Thanks to Adrian Newey and Honda for the car design and the engine, of course. But nobody can deny the greatness of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is clearly the most dominant racer in recent times. It is really unique for an F1 driver to win 34 races in just a couple of years.
Some great drivers in the past and the present have not even won that many races in their career. For instance, the oldest driver on the grid at present, Fernando Alonso, has won 32 races in his long and illustrious career. The Spaniard was impressive last year, but Aston Martin will need to provide Alonso with a car to beat Max in 2024. Till then, he will stick to 32 wins. Clearly, Max Verstappen, on the other hand, is destined to win many more races. However, there are some rules and bans that Verstappen’s team has imposed on him.
How Max Verstappen Reacts To The Bans As Per His Red Bull Contract?
Red Bull has banned Max Verstappen from “Dangerous Activities.” Not surprising enough, Red Bull provided Max with the most lucrative deal on the grid at present. As per the contract, Max is worth 40 million pounds per year. Verstappen’s contract will expire at the end of the 2028 season. Moreover, that deal comes with the added bonuses. Clearly, Max Verstappen is very valuable to the Austrian outfit. They want to ensure Max stays healthy ahead of every race. Hence, the ban was part of the deal to avoid activities that can be too risky for Verstappen’s fitness.
Recently, in an interview with Formule1, Max Verstappen confirmed that he has not skied for the last five years to avoid so-called “Dangerous sports.” Apparently, Red Bull doesn’t want Max to break or twist anything with all the consequences. But Verstappen had a mature response regarding that ban, saying the idea that he might win races and titles again, he does take a little less risk. It is essential for many racing drivers to avoid risky sports or activities.
Helmut Marko Stopped Max Once From Participating At A Red Bull Event
Last September, Max Verstappen wanted to take part in a Red Bull event at Nurburgring. Sebastian Vettel participated in that event, racing in one of his title-winning cars. When Max came up with the idea, Helmut Marko mentioned, “No, you are not doing that!” Verstappen mentioned that he did not want to start any unnecessary argument. Hence, he just followed the Red Bull advisor’s orders.
Moreover, Max Verstappen said that Marko knew that he would try to go to the limits and increasing the risk percentage in the process. Several other F1 teams try to take care of their drivers this way. But McLaren apparently allows Lando Norris to go skiing. Norris posted a video last week showing him hitting the slopes while enjoying the winter holidays.