Last Updated: July 31, 2023, 14:01 IST
Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Belgian GP. (AP Photo)
Max Verstappen heads into a month-long break with a comfortable lead at the top of F1 2023 drivers championship
Max Verstappen has maintained his dominance in F1 with a 10th win of the ongoing season to open up a massive gap at the top of the championship before the summer break. On Sunday, Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix after having started sixth on the grid and thus stretched the gap to 125 points with his Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez who is second.
Verstappen expectedly was in high spirits as he gave a hilarious reply during an interaction with a journalist.
When asked what he plans to do during the four-week break, Verstappen replied, “A lot of cardio and a lot of wrist training.”
The Dutch racer was referring to him telling his team during the race that he has to hold the wheel really tight because of the wind.
Verstappen was quick to add, “And not what you think it is, you’re a dirty man.” while gesturing towards the reporter who had asked the question.
Verstappen also hit the headlines with his on-radio exchange with team during the race weekend leading into an apology from him after an expletive-laden rant at Gianpiero Lambiase, his engineer at Red Bull Racing.
It was in response to Lambiase telling the two-time world champion to use his head over tyre usage.
Verstappen though claims it’s how the two operate.
“That’s how we operate,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “I think we know each other very well from all the years we have been working together.”
“The car has been performing really well. Of course they want to keep it under control, but I’m the one in the car feeling how the tyres are behaving. They have the numbers but it’s still also a feeling thing. As long as they tell me from their side what they’re seeing then I can make my mind up of how to do it in terms of how to push it out. I think that works very well for us at the moment,” he added.
