"When I was a little fat?" - When Max Verstappen gave hilarious response to being body-shamed by F1 journalist

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen once responded with humor after a journalist asked a question regarding his weight. The exchange came during a remote session with the media in August this year. The 27-year-old produced one of the most dominant seasons in F1 history as he won 19 out of the 22 races on his way to capturing his third consecutive driver's championship in 2023.

The Dutch driver was challenged on very few occasions throughout the season as raked up a huge number of wins. The three-time F1 world champion is known for his laid-back outlook on life outside the track as he prefers to spend time with his loved ones.

He is often spotted holidaying with his girlfriend and her daughter on the beaches and exploring different parts of the world. The Dutch driver has been previously criticized for his weight by some fans during his vacations away from the track.

During a Q-and-A session, as a journalist was asking him about "looking a little fat" at the end of last year, Max Verstappen interrupted the question and hilariously said,

"When I was a little fat? I was just enjoying my month off."

During the season finale in Abu Dhabi last year, Verstappen shared his gratitude toward the Austrian team for his victories.

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When Max Verstappen expressed his gratitude to Red Bull in Abu Dhabi

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen previously stated that he was thankful to the Austrian team for the "incredible" 2023 season as the Milton-Keynes outfit notched up 21 out of 22 race wins last year.

Speaking at the end of the season in November last year, the F1 world champion said (via F1.com),

“An incredible season. It was a bit emotional on the in-lap. The last time I was sitting in the car that has of course given me a lot. Of course, very proud to win here, and also at the last race. But I have to say a big thank you to Red Bull, it’s just been an incredible year. It will be hard to do something similar again, but we definitely enjoyed this year.”

Max Verstappen added that he was aware that it could be difficult to replicate the level of success he experienced in 2023.

“Yeah, will be very hard to have another season like this, we know. Of course, you always want to do better but sometimes doing better is not only race wins and potentially winning the championship. For sure all the other teams want to try and beat us out there. We are ready for the battle but for the meantime as well we are going to enjoy a little bit this year as well.”

Verstappen is on the verge of another title with a handful of races left in the season. However, Red Bull has recently slipped to P3 in the constructors' championship, behind McLaren and Ferrari.