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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was heard singing 'Green Green Grass Of Home' by Tom Jones on his radio after winning the 2023 Brazilian GP on Sunday and breaking Alberto Ascari's 71-year-old record.
It was yet another comfortable win for the three-time world champion as he led from the front to finish eight seconds ahead of Lando Norris and take home his 17th race win of the season.
The victory also meant that the Dutchman broke former Ferrari legend Alberto Ascari's record of win percentages during the course of the season. Max Verstappen has won 77% of the races in 2023 and that will stand even if he doesn't win in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi. He eclipsed Ascari’s 75%, which was set when the Italian claimed six wins from eight races in 1952.
Max Verstappen sang along to 'Green Green Grass Of Home' by Tom Jones on the team radio after the win, cheekily accepting that he wasn't a good singer.
Speaking with Reuters, Red Bull team boss Christain Horner claimed the song was his favorite, saying:
"It was the most unlikely song. But Jos told me in Qatar (where Verstappen won his third title). I said 'What's his favorite song?' He went 'Green Green Grass' by Tom Jones. He was off on it. He knew all the words."
He added:
"Obviously after the Spice Girls I was thinking he would be totally into Ed Sheeran or somebody, a contemporary of his age range. But Tom Jones?"
Max Verstappen reflects on breaking Ascari's record in Brazil
Max Verstappen admitted that he never thought of breaking records such as Ascari's when he joined Formula 1 in 2015 as a 17-year-old, .
In his post-race press conference, the 26-year-old said:
"It's not about that. I mean, it's not something that when I joined Formula 1, I needed to have a 75% win record over a season you know. These kinds of things come along when everything just works really well."
He added:
"You know, I feel good in the car, the car is very competitive, and the team barely makes mistakes as well. So then you can get a season like we are having. So for me, it's more about just enjoying the moment and trying to maximise every single opportunity."
With two races to go, Max Verstappen will be hoping to cap off the 2023 season with 19 race wins and take the top step in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi as well.
