"Without my dad, I wouldn't be sitting here right now" - 2022 F1 Canadian GP podium winners talk about the importance of their fathers on Father's Day

The 2022 F1 Canadian Grand Prix took place last Sunday, which also happened to be Father's Day. The three podium finishers took the opportunity to reveal the role their respective fathers have played in their upbringing and career.

In a post-race press conference, race winner Max Verstappen, whose father Jos Verstappen is a former F1 driver, revealed that a large majority of his career is a product of his father's efforts. He said:

“Well, without my dad, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. So what he did for me is, well, difficult to explain. You know, as soon as he stopped in F1, he basically dedicated the next 12 years to make sure…well, make sure…he would try everything and he did everything for me to be where I am right now.”

The reigning world champion continued:

“I mean the amount of hours we travelled through Europe together and not only that, but also the workload he did back at home in Holland, working on my engines, preparing my go karts, being on the dyno, it was really crazy.”

Carlos Sainz is the son of former World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr. The 27-year-old shared his journey and the role played by his father in it. He said:

“My father retired from rallying in 2004 and in 2006 I started competing in go karts and since then he’s been my right hand, my mentor, my advisor, my leader, you know, in terms of where… what I should do in my career, and it’s great to be able to spend so much time of my childhood, you know, with my father and still having the same conversations that we used to have back in the day when I was 11/12 years old.”

Lewis Hamilton added:

“But coming from the humble beginnings and just with the dream of creating a better opportunity for his kids than he had and I’m forever grateful for my Dad, you know, the journey that we’ve been on, the struggles that we had, and to be in here and our first Grand Prix win in 2007, looking down at him, knowing everything he did, to raise money and to… literally almost selling the shirt off his back to keep us racing.”

All three drivers seem to be eternally grateful for the faith placed in them by their fathers.

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Max Verstappen believes that the new directive regarding porpoising faced by the 2022 F1 cars is not "correct"

The reigning world champion has been vocal about his discontent with the FIA's decision to intervene to tackle the porposing problems faced by the 2022 F1 cars and has claimed that brining in the changes in the middle of the season is simply not correct.

He said:

“Yeah, you know, for me, regardless if it’s going to help us or work against us, I think always these rule changes in the middle of the year, I don’t think it’s correct. Of course, I understand the safety part of it but I think if you talk to every engineer and in the paddock, if you raise your car, you will have less issues anyway.”

Mercedes in particular was most concerned about porpoising and its impact on the drivers' health.

Catch the teams and drivers next at the British GP on July 3, 2022.