Verstappen says he didn’t ask his father-in-law Nelson Piquet for advice

Before arriving in São Paulo for the Brazilian stage of the F1 Worlds, this Sunday (14), in Interlagos, the Dutchman Max Verstappen made a stopover in Brasília, where he had a meeting with Nelson Piquet, the father of his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet .

According to the current season leader, the two hardly talked about F1. Despite the Brazilian’s great experience in the category –he is three-time champion (1981, 1983 and 1987)–, Verstappen said that he took the opportunity to have a moment with his family, besides not considering it necessary to ask other drivers and ex-pilots for advice.

“We didn’t talk about it. I don’t need advice. We talked about a lot of things. It was more important to spend time with the family,” says Max.

The Red Bull driver also showed confidence in fighting for another victory at Interlagos, as well as in 2019, when he won the last race played on the circuit in São Paulo — in 2020, there was no race in Brazil because of the Covid-19 pandemic .

“I hope we continue like this [com bom desempenho], because a lot has changed since 2019. If you look at 2019, it was a very tough battle and I expect that again,” he says.

After this Sunday’s race, F1 will have three more stages (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi). With 19 points ahead of runner-up Lewis Hamilton (312.5 to 293.5), the Dutchman could be very close to winning the title if he wins on Sunday.

Despite the close dispute with the seven-times champion, the 24-year-old Dutchman says he doesn’t think much about the rivalry he has created with the 36-year-old Englishman.

“I don’t think about it much [a rivalidade], I focus more on myself and try to do the best I can every week. I’m not very interested in rivalry. I try to focus more on what I’m doing on the track and on the team,” he says.

In addition to the importance for the classification, Verstappen says he would like to hear again the Brazilian fans shouting his name.

“They love racing and motor sports. The crowd here is one of the best there is. When we go to the podium, they go crazy. Eager to have that experience again,” he says.

Verstappen also praised Brazilian cuisine and said he would like to know more about the country. In addition to São Paulo and Brasília, he spent two weeks at Lençóis Maranhenses, alongside Kelly Piquet.

“The country is very large and has many things to explore yet. I hope to have more time to explore the country more. But one thing I do know is that the meat here is very good, as is Brazilian food in general,” he says. .