"I like to hurt myself a bit then" - Max Verstappen on giving himself a month to 'eat and drink' whatever

Max Verstappen has recovered quickly from the Formula 1 winter break. To prepare for the next F1 season, the Dutchman shed up to 10 kg in six weeks.

For the F1 season, Max Verstappen's goal weight is 74 kg. Verstappen normally abandons his sports diet in the winter and accumulates five kilograms. Last winter, that weight increased to 10 kg, requiring the Red Bull driver to exercise more rigorously, and it was no issue.

It's become a ritual for Verstappen. The 25-year-old two-time Formula 1 world champion is already in his ninth season. In the meantime, the crew has been on a diet and the RB19 in itself has become lighter ahead of the 2023 F1 season. So, Max Verstappen had to balance his weight accordingly.

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf spoke to Max Verstappen about his winter break and training and this is what he said:

"The whole year I feel like I'm below my normal weight. I then give myself a month to eat and drink what I want and enjoy myself a bit."

Unlike other drivers who like to maintain their weight all year, Verstappen enjoys not having to think about training for a month and then being fit again in a short period of time. Max said:

"I like to hurt myself a bit then."

Verstappen struck an intimidating figure during pre-season testing in Bahrain, looking sleek and in condition. Chasing his third consecutive F1 title, he already appears to be the man to beat, with the RB19 capable of propelling him to victory once more.

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Max Verstappen will be the guy to beat in Formula 1 in 2023

Last season, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was so far ahead that chasing the Formula 1 title may seem like climbing a mountain. So that's precisely what Ferrari's Charles Leclerc did to prepare for the task, which begins next Sunday (March 5) with the 2023 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old Monegasque traveled to the Italian Dolomites for “extreme training,” which left him “fully recharged and ready for” another go against Verstappen, his longtime junior karting competitor.

When it comes to physical training, Lewis Hamilton has long been a perfectionist. But this time, the Mercedes veteran attempted something new: a week of whale-watching in Antarctica.

It has to be seen whether this makes a difference in stopping Verstappen, and if pre-season testing is any indication, it might not. Verstappen believes his RB19 will outperform last year. Ferrari will be hoping that things will improve under new team principal Frederic Vasseur.