Max Verstappen explains why rallying risk rules out future switch

While Max Verstappen is always very impressed by what his dad does in the world of rallying, he does not see it as a career option of his own.

Formula 1 always carries an element of risk despite the incredible safety advancements over the years, but Verstappen – at a time where he is considering his F1 future – says that rallying brings with it a level of risk which he is not willing to accept.

Max Verstappen explains rallying risk stance

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Max has carved out a legendary Formula 1 résumé as a four-time World Champion. He is the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, who is still racing in his own right.

While Max travels the globe in Formula 1 action, Jos can regularly been seen rallying.

During an appearance on the Up To Speed podcast, Max was asked how it feels watching his dad’s rallying exploits.

“It’s pretty crazy, to be honest.

“What I find really impressive is that, I mean, he’s 53 years old, now almost 54, and he’s racing against guys that are late 20s, early 30s.

“And in some championships, he’s beating them.

“Of course, in rallying, a lot goes through notes, but at the end of the day, when you do a certain rally a few times, you go off muscle memory a little bit, for sure. So if you do it for a few years, you get better at it naturally.

“He’s very good at it, to be honest. He loves it. He’s very hard to beat. When we, let’s say, rent a little space on an airport and they set out a track, and then you drive together, honestly, I have to go flat out to beat him on a lap. And that I like doing.”

However, Max has no intention of following in his father’s footsteps as a competitive rally driver.

“But, a proper stage – and he shares me all the videos that he’s doing in whatever kind of rally car that he’s driving – I find it really impressive. I think it’s really cool.

“But I just think about if I make a mistake, and I hit that tree, I mean, the tree is not moving, and that for me is my limit. That for me, is something that I don’t want to do, is this a too high of a risk.

“I know that sounds maybe a bit silly, but in Formula 1, at least most of the time when you crash there is a barrier, a proper designed barrier that should absorb the impact a bit more.

“It’s a bit different, in my head at least, and it’s just a risk that I’m not willing to take.

“But it is really cool to see. Like, the Monaco rally. It’s unbelievable what these guys do.”

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Verstappen has found an alternate racing passion outside of Formula 1, that being GT Racing.

He is preparing to debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

With Max’s mother having also raced back in her karting days, Max was asked whether he ever has time to reflect on his family’s racing story, or whether he is too in the here and now for that.

“You do, of course, a little bit with the family,” he said, “but I think we can appreciate it probably even more once also I stop racing, and we’re all together just living our life, having a good time with a beer probably somewhere, and reflect on it.

“My parents also get on very well, which, of course, is very helpful.

“Of course, it’s super cool. I mean, no one would have ever thought in our wildest dreams that I would get on to achieve what I did.

“The dream was to get to Formula 1, but that’s already such a distant dream to even just make it. And then with everything that I have done so far, it’s super cool.

“And that goes, of course, for my dad, but also the same time, my mom. We talk a lot about it. Of course, I’m not going to tell my mom what rollbar that I put in the car, but it’s still, when I talk to my mom, I don’t need to explain it in normal people language, she understands, and it’s just really cool to be able to just have a conversation with her about a lot of stuff.”

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