00:00We are here at the Detroit Auto Show with four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen.
00:05Max, the second half of last season was about as exciting as they get.
00:10You were at a 104-point deficit, but ended up only missing out by two points in the last race.
00:16How did it feel to you?
00:17I think it raises my race, to be honest.
00:20You know, we had a bit of a tough, yeah, first half.
00:23You know, some good moments and some bad moments and a bit of a, yeah, tough start.
00:27But second half was a lot more enjoyable.
00:30Yeah, also on the team side, like, you know, you start to feel more comfortable, confident when things are going well.
00:36Of course, even in the second half, we had a few tough races, but overall way more competitive.
00:42And I think it's always nicer to end the season like that.
00:47I mean, it was a great way to end, even if, you know, you didn't win the ultimate championship.
00:53But I can't imagine working that hard with that set of tools and then having to switch to a completely new set of tools this year
01:02in like this most serious rule change that Formula One has had, at least in my memory.
01:08Yeah, but I mean, you know that even heading into that season, right?
01:11So it's not like it comes as a shock. The team is prepared for that.
01:15And it's also a bit of a new challenge. I mean, I enjoyed the cars the last three years.
01:20But at the same time, sometimes, yeah, it doesn't hurt to have a bit of a change.
01:26Yeah, it can also really upset, of course, the grid. You don't know.
01:29So, yeah, we'll see how that goes.
01:32How do you think the rule changes are going to benefit you as opposed to the rest of the group?
01:36I honestly have no idea. I haven't even done that many laps in the simulator.
01:40You know, so for me, I'll just see what happens when I sit in the car.
01:44I think what is always very important as a driver is that you can adapt quickly to the situation that you're in.
01:50If that is on a current car that you've known for a long time or a completely new car, you just need to be able to adapt quickly, learn quickly as well,
01:59because the cars will evolve, I think, also very quickly. But, yeah, I'm not too stressed about that, to be honest.
02:05I mean, Red Bull is seen as the most, at least the most technologically advanced team in the world.
02:10And now you have Ford as a partner. I don't think any CEO, automotive CEO, cares about racing more than Jim Farley.
02:17What does it mean to you working with Ford?
02:19Yeah, it's great. It's a great opportunity as well. I'm just excited, you know, to get started.
02:23There is a massive heritage as well, you know, in racing as well.
02:27So, yeah, I think everyone is just now just very keen to get started.
02:32Yeah, I think like of the former winners that have been powered by Ford, Jim Clark, Hill, Fittipaldi, I mean, Jackie Stewart.
02:43You were like, it's such an illustrious list. It's almost like you're going to do DFV 2.0 with this new team.
02:51Let's see. I mean, yeah, we hope, of course, to have a lot of success, but it's impossible to know.
02:57The only thing that I do know is that everyone is giving it everything they have.
02:59What do you think about the development? We've heard that maybe you have found a bit of an edge with compression, variable compression.
03:09I guess there's going to be a meeting on January 2nd about how this will work for you and Mercedes.
03:15Do you feel like you have an edge?
03:17It's impossible to know. I mean, everyone is just trying everything they can.
03:20And from our side, and especially from my side, I mean, I have to focus on the driving.
03:24You know, I'm not there to be the engine technician and will explain everything in detail to you.
03:29And at the end of the day, it's also something between the FIA and the car manufacturers or the engine manufacturers to sort out.
03:36And I drive the car and I trust that from our side, you know, we always try to do our very best to get the most performance out of the engine.
03:45Are you excited to have a more nimble, a smaller, more nimble car?
03:49Is that more exciting for you because it'll be easier, I guess, in that instance to pass?
03:53I mean, it's a bit too soon to be able to say that, that it will be easier to pass. I have no idea.
04:00So, you know, everything is still unknown, you know, so the cars, I think, look a bit nicer, you know, when they're a bit smaller and not as wide.
04:09But yeah, once we get on track, then it's a bit easier to get a bit of an understanding of what is all happening and going on.
04:16Let's talk about your career outside of F1. I can hear the Sims going over there, and I know you're deep into that with Redline.
04:23So what are you most interested in outside of racing on the track, which I'm sure is your main focus almost all the time, but in any spare time that you have?
04:33You mean outside of like sim racing and stuff?
04:35No, no, including Sims.
04:38Well, it's, of course, we want to win whatever we compete in, right?
04:43I want to try and help young drivers, young people that don't have the opportunities also in real life, you know, to have an opportunity to actually then become a real racing driver.
04:52That all starts, of course, in the simulator.
04:55And, yes, it's just very exciting to see these young guys that started, what, 16 maybe in the team and see them grow as well over the years with the potential to, you know, maybe get a real life drive, which we have done last season with one of the sim drivers.
05:10And, you know, he's doing a really good job. And it's just, yeah, really nice to see how that is all like progressing.
05:16Do you think about that as a progression? I mean, do you have, for example, a certain number of championships in mind that you want to win before you can walk away?
05:23Or are you still going to be starting races at, you know, Alonzo's like 44 years old? Can you see that as a future for yourself?
05:30It's all, honestly, like it's just, I don't really think about it too much. I think it's more important to just try and enjoy it.
05:36You know, as long the enjoyment is there, then it's also easier to rock up and really demand everything from yourself.
05:43And so far, I'm still, you know, having that feeling.
05:47You seem to be enjoying a little bit of GT racing, maybe ready to do a little bit of endurance racing.
05:52I hear you signed up for the 24 hours of Nuremberg.
05:55Well, about that, there's still nothing confirmed yet. I mean, the plan would be nice, you know, if that's possible.
06:01But it's also very, you know, very hectic first few months now in Formula One.
06:05So we have to wait and see. But it's definitely my goal. You know, I want to do 25-hour races and I want to do endurance.
06:12And of course, having started with GT3 racing as well with the team. Yeah, that's definitely the future plan.
06:18Are you just aiming for an outright win at Le Mans or do you think about, for example, the Triple Crown?
06:24Is that something that enters the picture?
06:27Triple Crown, not so much for me personally. Yeah, I would love to do Le Mans.
06:32And actually, if you do it, you want to try and win it.
06:35So in terms of my co-anchor, Dani Berger, she's a huge F1 fan.
06:41And she wants to know if you're still friends with Lando.
06:44Yeah, I mean, that has never changed. So it's just always been the same.
06:49Got a little spicy at the end of the last season.
06:51Got spicy, but it's also a bit of fun, you know, in it. Just being like that.
06:57And honestly, also the media makes it always probably a bit more spicy than it actually is.
07:04Got a little spicy at the end of the last season.
07:05Got a little spicy.
07:06Yeah.
07:07Got a little spicy, but I won.
07:08Trap.
07:09I ran a little spicy.
07:10And we're gonna try and win it.
07:11This lifestyle also has been so subtle in the last season.
07:12No, I mean, I'm not even a little spicy.
07:13But this is something so simple.
07:14I'm just going to try and win it now.
07:15And I'm going to give you the last season.
07:16I'm going to go for it because the last season is a little bit.
07:17I'm going to give you now.
07:19You're going to give me an SEM.
07:20At least one.
07:21A little bit too.
07:23Yeah.
07:24Some say I'll give you the last season.
07:25Yeah, no matter who I've done.
07:27The guys.
07:28Do you wanna believe?
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