Max Verstappen likes to try new types of motorsport, but the Dutchman will continue to steer clear of rallying in the future: Why the risk is too great for him
Whether it’s Formula 1, various sports car races, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring or Le Mans: Red Bull star Max Verstappen is actually open to trying other racing series during his career. However, entering rallying is out of the question for the four-time world champion.
“I think it’s really cool, but I just think that if I make a mistake and drive into a tree—the tree isn’t going to move. That’s the limit for me,“ Verstappen said on the Up To Speed podcast. ”It’s something I don’t want to do. It’s just too high a risk.“
”And I know this may sound a bit silly, but in Formula 1, at least in most cases, there’s a barrier in the event of an accident—a properly constructed barrier that should better cushion the impact. In my mind, it’s a little different.“
”It’s a risk I don’t want to take, but it’s really cool to see,” Verstappen admits. The 28-year-old Dutchman even has a history with rallying: his father, Jos Verstappen, is currently competing in the European Rally Championship (ERC).
Max Verstappen: My father is “hard to beat”
“Yes, to be honest, it’s pretty crazy,” grins Verstappen Junior, who highlights his father’s achievements. “What I find really impressive is that he’s now 53, almost 54, and he’s racing against guys who are in their late 20s and early 30s.”
“In some championships, he even beats them. And of course, a lot of rallying is about the notes, but in the end, when you’ve driven a particular rally a few times, you rely on your memory to a certain extent. If you do it for a few years, you automatically get better.”
“He’s really good at it, to be honest. He loves it,” reveals the Formula 1 driver. “He’s very hard to beat. For example, if we rent a small piece of land at an airport and they build a track and we drive together, then I have to give it my all to beat him on one lap, to be honest.”
“And I enjoy doing that,” admits Verstappen. Nevertheless, competing in rallying and on “a real stage” is never an option for him. “He shows me all the videos of him driving whatever rally car, and I mean, I find that really impressive.”
