“Cristiano Ronaldo is an amazing example” - Max Verstappen’s comments resurface after historic World Championship victory

Newly-crowned Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen had previously cited the example of Cristiano Ronaldo as how one can perform at the highest level even in their 30s.

Max Verstappen believes experience can help an athlete prolong his career in the sport. The 24-year-old stated that a footballer can lose pace and strength overtime but can compensate that with the ability to read the game better.

Speaking to Crash.net (via Planet F1), Max Verstappen said:

“I think that just gets better every year and you never stop learning. When you are 35 or 36, you have that experience in your bag. It’s like a football player – sometimes they can lose a bit of speed, but they can compensate by just reading the situation better than maybe five years before when they would maybe sprint a bit faster but not fully understand the awareness."

Max Verstappen believes Cristiano Ronaldo is the perfect example of consistent success despite being 36 years old. The F1 world champion credits Ronaldo's awareness on the pitch despite losing pace over the course of his career. Verstappen added:

"For me, I think Ronaldo is an amazing example. For sure he’s not at the same speed as he was five or six years ago, because you do slow down when you get older in terms of purely running. But I do think he improves by awareness and just by the experiences he has on the pitch, for example.”

Max Verstappen clinched the Formula 1 World Championship in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. The 24-year-old Dutchman defeated yet another veteran of the sport in Lewis Hamilton.

---

Cristiano Ronaldo and Max Verstappen are both talismans in their respective teams

Cristiano Ronaldo and Max Verstappen are both talismans in their respective teams. Both Manchester United and Red Bull Racing depend on their superstars to secure positive results.

Cristiano Ronaldo is Manchester United's leading goalscorer this season. The former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar has netted 13 goals in 18 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.

Max Verstappen, on the other hand, is already a Formula 1 World Champion at the age of just 24 Red Bull Racing signed the Dutchman when he was only 18 years old and treated him as their number one driver. As things stand, Max Verstappen has won 20 races for the Austrian side.