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The ever-entertaining Max Verstappen might not be a household name but it’s fair to say he’s not likely to change anytime soon. The 21-year-old seems to have come into his own on Formula One’s European circuit, and already has three wins from his six starts.
Still, as the Dutchman prepares to go for a hat-trick at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he’s quick to point out that he’s no heir to the throne. While his father, Jos, was a racing driver who scored five podium finishes for McLaren, Max Verstappen has eschewed the step-by-step path his late predecessor took as he took up the profession.
“If I say I’m going to replace [Michael] Schumacher … you can see I’m lying,” Verstappen, the son of Jos Verstappen who died last year, told a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. “I don’t think there is anyone to replace Michael Schumacher. I like to be Michael Schumacher, and I like to look like Michael Schumacher.”
Asked to elaborate on how he’s different to his father, Verstappen also referred to the tycoon’s body-suit fashion statement.
“You didn’t see my father like that,” he said. “I made myself look bigger with the biggest suit ever to be able to climb the podium, so I’m always going to be myself.”
Read the full story at The Times.
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