Max Verstappen "doesn't do bull****": Alex Albon

Max Verstappen’s former Red Bull teammate Alex Albon has opened up about the Dutchman’s no-nonsense approach to racing. Albon feels that Verstappen is “more normal” than people generally assume.

Speaking in a post-season interview with Dutch magazine Formule1, the Thai-British driver said:

“Max [Verstappen] is very honest, he doesn’t do bull****. You could say that he is really Dutch! He is confident, but certainly not arrogant. He just has faith in what he’s doing.”

Albon further said:

“Max is actually a very ordinary boy. Especially when you consider how famous he is and what he has already achieved. Max is much more normal than many people would think. We get along very well. He loves gaming, I also like to play games. So, we sometimes play together.”

Verstappen is often regarded as arrogant and difficult to work with due to his straightforward approach. The Dutchman generally doesn’t mince words, either with his team or with the press. He’s known to express his displeasure when asked 'irritating' or repetitive questions during interviews.

After losing his lead due to an unfortunate incident with Esteban Ocon in Brazil 2018, Verstappen had an argument with the Frenchman in parc fermé. While he was subsequently punished by the stewards for his behavior, he was also bombarded with questions at the press conference for the following race.

Tired of the repetitive questions, he infamously said that he would “start punching” people if the questions didn’t stop.

Furthermore, Max Verstappen has been known to throw fits of tantrums during races when things don’t to plan. Luckily, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has a strong relationship with the Dutchman and is able to manage the latter’s emotions calmly.

---

Alex Albon’s crucial role in Max Verstappen’s title triumph

Max Verstappen fought tooth-and-nail on the track against the all-conquering Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton during the final few races of the 2021 season. Off the track, Alex Albon was quietly working away at Red Bull’s factory. The Red Bull test driver was entrusted to come up with solutions and potential setups that would ultimately prove instrumental in for the Dutchman’s title victory.

When Verstappen crossed the finish line in Abu Dhabi, winning the race (and the F1 title), Albon was the first to congratulate him, shouting with joy on the radio.

Albon partnered with Verstappen at Red Bull for one-and-a-half seasons between 2019 and 2020, before being replaced by Sergio Perez. He famously had a good relationship with Verstappen, often participating together in sim-racing events during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Despite being dropped from the race seat, Albon didn’t lose hope. Instead, he chose to focus on his reserve driver duties, going above and beyond his responsibilities. Red Bull appreciated his valuable work so much that they worked hard to ensure he had a racing seat for the 2022 season, after having no vacancies at their own teams.