"It brings a big smile on my face" - Max Verstappen on the pleasure of winning a home race

Max Verstappen believes it’s as important for him to perform well in his birth country Belgium as it is elsewhere on the calendar. Speaking to Sportskeeda in the post-qualifying press conference, the Dutchman felt that a win in Belgium and Zandvoort is special because of the fans and the support he gets.

Asked by Sportskeeda if it was just as special to win in Belgium as it is in Zandvoort, Verstappen replied:

“I think it's important to try and win everywhere. For me, it would be weird if I want to win more here or in Zandvoort. I mean, it's nice and I really appreciate all the support I have, but I want to win on any track.

"Because that's my motivation all the time. I want to do the best I can. But, for sure you know, when you have all the fans around the track supporting you, it brings a big smile on my face and it makes the weekend a bit more enjoyable for sure.”

Born in Hasselt in Belgium, Verstappen finds the Spa-Francorchamps circuit as much a home venue as Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Ever since his debut in 2015, the Belgian GP has seen an overwhelming number of supporters for Verstappen, including both from the Netherlands and local Belgians.

Answering Sportskeeda’s question, the Dutch champion said that he wanted to win on every venue on the calendar just as much as he would want to at Zandvoort or Belgium.

Being both Dutch and Belgian in his cultural identity, it is the crowds that make both of his home Grands Prix a special experience for him. Speaking about his Belgian connection, Max Verstappen said:

“Of course. I mean, I've been here many times. I grew up not far from here, you know, so it's definitely like a second home race for me. And it’s also great to see so many fans here. It's been, I think, quite tough today with the rain, but everyone just stuck in and that's great to see. So thank you very much.”

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Max Verstappen looks back on his first Belgian GP as a distant memory

Max Verstappen remembers his first Belgian GP in 2015 like a distant memory now. Back then, at 18 years of age and the youngest driver in the sport, the Red Bull driver did not have any expectations and reaching Formula 1 itself was a big milestone achieved.

Reflecting back, the double champion claims he did not imagine getting this far in the sport with two titles under his belt nine seasons down the road.

Max Verstappen

Asked how he reflected upon his first time in Belgium as an F1 driver in his debut year in 2015, the reigning champion replied:

“Feels like a long time ago now. Honestly, I always had this approach of like, we will see. I was like, ‘Well, you know, I made it now to Formula 1’ at the time ‘And we'll find out how it goes’. I mean, I didn't really put any expectation or whatever. I mean, I always tried to get the best out of myself, and I jump into the car and do my preparation, but you don't know, in your career, where it's going to end up, because it also has to do with luck."

He continued:

"I mean, I could have done the same steps I've done, you know, from Toro Rosso to here, but if the car is not competitive, then you're not winning races or championships. So it all needs to come together. For some people, it happens sooner. For some people, later, or it never happens. That's also part of Formula 1. And I was well aware of that when you know I got into it. Because that's just how Formula 1 works. So yeah, of course, back then I wouldn't have imagined anything like this.”

Since his debut as the youngest driver in F1 history, Max Verstappen has surpassed Ayrton Senna’s number of race victories. This has catapulted him to the list of the top 5 most successful drivers of the sport.

The 26-year-old is about to equal Fernando Alonso’s all-time record of winning a race from nine different positions on the grid. With a five-place penalty for a gearbox change, the Dutchman is about to start the Belgian GP from sixth on the grid.

His last race victory in Hungary helped Red Bull break McLaren’s all-time tally of 11 consecutive victories. The Milton Keynes team now has 12 consecutive race victories, out of which 11 have been this season, making them the sole winners at every race on the calendar so far.

Out of the 11 victories this season, 10 have been claimed by Max Verstappen alone.