Max Verstappen showed his true colours by poking fun at his own Formula One slump – months after he was made to pay after making the same joke about Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
The Red Bull ace’s fourth-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend marked his fourth consecutive race without a victory. It marks a rare unsuccessful run of form for the three-time F1 champion, who has dominated each of the two previous seasons by a considerable margin.
The Dutchman, 26, was flying high to begin the 2024 season and took the opportunity earlier in the year to aim a jibe at British drivers Hamilton, Norris and George Russell, over their lack of race wins in recent times. He poked fun at them when the British national anthem played during a streamed EA FC session with his friends, stating: “Haven’t heard that in a while!”
But Hamilton, Russell and Norris responded in the best possible way, letting their driving do the talking while claiming four combined victories. And Verstappen himself has now been able to see the funny side with regards to his own fortunes changing.
Sim racing commentator Luke Crane could be heard saying during a gaming session: “Can someone play the Dutch national anthem?” before Verstappen, after a brief pause, poked fun at himself: “I would actually like to hear it, it’s been a while.”
The Dutchman laughed, showing that he is taking the downturn in form in his stride, despite losing his cool at various points over the team radio this season. Fortunately, his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands, is next on the calendar.
Scheduled for August 25 following the summer break, it presents a huge opportunity for Verstappen to claim a win and hear the Dutch national anthem ring out once again. He will be confident going into Zandvoort, having won all three races there since the 4.259km circuit made its return to the calendar for the first time since 1985.
Verstappen still leads the drivers’ championship by 78 points thanks to his seven victories in the opening 10 races of the season. Norris trails in second place on 199 points.
