Max Verstappen lifts the lid on how 'English oriented' Formula 1 has started to see good drivers come from other countries

World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen spoke about the changing perspective on where racing drivers can come from to join the mostly English-based Formula 1. The driver, who was born in Belgium, but races under the Dutch flag, discussed how a driver who is not from a typical racing country has also started to become noticed now, a change he himself has noted.

The four-time champion, in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, discussed a variety of topics, including how it's difficult to rise through the ranks of the racing world when you don't come from a country that is racing-dominated. However, the driver said that is slowly becoming not true:

"As a Dutchman, you weren't really taken seriously for a long time. If you look at the dominant countries in car racing; we weren't among them. That is changing now. Look, Formula 1 is an English-oriented sport and in terms of media and things like that, you are in the minority. But in terms of drivers, it is increasingly being noticed that very good drivers can also come from the Netherlands and not just from the standard racing countries."

Earlier this week, Max Verstappen also spoke to Sportskeeda about something similar, when asked about increasing the diversity in a sport that is mainly British, the driver said:

“Yeah, but at the end of the day, the heritage in the UK is massive. So naturally there are more opportunities in the UK, that's why you get also more people from the UK. So that is something, yeah, if you want to have different people in this world you need to of course try to set it up in different countries and the excitement needs to be there as well."

Before Verstappen took home the Drivers' trophy at the FIA Awards Gala earlier this year, he spent time with the junior motorsports members at an event to grow a grassroots racing campaign in Rwanda.

Max Verstappen is trying to use Sim Racing to make "racing more attractive"

Max Verstappen in a racing simulator - Source: Getty

One of the other things that Max Verstappen discussed in his interview with the Dutch newspaper was how expensive it is to get into karting as the stepping stone towards a professional racing career, for which Verstappen is trying to change by offering an alternative, the Red Bull driver said, via De Telegraaf:

"Karting has become very expensive, That's why I'm trying to make racing more attractive through the sim world. That you also have the chance to grow through racing on a simulator. That's my passion."

Max Verstappen has been involved in sim racing professionally since he joined Team Redline in 2015. Earlier this year, he won the Nurburgring 24 Hours Sim race, alongside teammate Chris Lulham on the iRacing platform. Later that day, the RBR driver went on to win the Imola Grand Prix, one of his nine wins this past season.