Max Verstappen's fit shape at the Red Bull launch explained because of this reason

Max Verstappen recently appeared at the launch of Red Bull's 2023 car, showing up on camera after nearly two months. The Dutchman appeared to be fitter than before, impressing the F1 world.

Verstappen was, undisputedly, the best in 2022, having wrapped up the season with four races remaining. In doing so, the Dutchman won his second title in the sport and racked up 15 wins in one season - breaking Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's long-standing record of 13.

Fans noted that the two-time world champion appeared especially fit at the RB19 launch in New York City earlier in February. Thus proving that the 25-year-old began training for the new season well in advance.

Dutch F1 journalist Erik van Haren reported that Max Verstappen deliberately started preparing for the season well in advance. Van Haren told De Telegraaf:

"Quite a lot of people said that when they saw Verstappen in the picture on Friday that he looked well-trained. I spoke to some people from his camp. They said his training schedule has been adjusted a bit, because they used to start training at the beginning or mid-January – but now the season starts quite a bit earlier than in recent years, on March 5."

Max Verstappen lauded by his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase

Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase said that the Dutchman is really easy to work with and has a 'gift' for the sport. Lambiase, also known as GP, has played a crucial role in helping the 24-year-old become the formidable driver that he is today.

The reigning world champion himself recently claimed that he can't see himself in the sport without Lambiase, who works behind the scenes. He is the one who gives the Red Bull driver all the information and data he needs.

GP has praised Max Verstappen's honest and open approach to racing, claiming the two-time world champion has the perfect mix of an analytical yet natural feel for racing. Lambiase explained in the Red Bulletin Heroes Verstappen Edition magazine:

“The relationship between a driver and a race engineer is based on mutual trust. The more direct a driver is, the more he trusts the team. My experience is that if a driver stops giving his honest opinion about the car and starts circling it, the results get worse. Max is direct, but so am I. That makes working with him very open, honest, and easy.”

Lambiase continued:

“Some drivers want to get to the bottom of the data, while others don't want to be involved at all. And then there's Max. He explains very precisely where he can push the car to the limit and what exactly he needs to drive faster.

"We always know what to do because of his instructions. A driver who can communicate clearly is a great gift. He has an incredibly natural feel for racing, coupled with a good analytical mind.”

It will be interesting to see whether Max Verstappen can make good use of GP's experience in 2023 and secure yet another title in the sport.