Max Verstappen claimed that he would like to experience normal things such as walking in the street with his family if he was not famous for a day. The Dutchman explained that privacy is not really a feature of his life in public anymore, and people are always around with cameras when he goes out.
Max Verstappen has become one of F1’s most successful drivers ever and has broken numerous records on his way to four drivers’ titles and 71 race wins. In doing so, he has become one of the sport’s most recognizable faces, especially since the 2021 season when he claimed his first championship.
But while numerous perks come with being a famous superstar, a lack of privacy is one of the biggest drawbacks, as has been claimed by almost all famous personalities.
Max Verstappen is no different, and has now explained that he craves to do normal things with his family without being photographed in public. On a recent Twitch stream, the four-time world champion was asked what he would do if he was not famous for one day. He replied:
“Honestly, just walk normally in the street with the family. Go for lunch, dinner, whatever, go to shops, just normal experiences, doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just normal way of walking without people trying to record you or being sneaky with it.”
When asked if there are any spots where he can go without being noticed or bothered by fans, he said:
“I mean, of course there are places that are better, but you always have to keep it in mind.”
Verstappen will be competing in his 12th F1 season in 2026 at the age of just 28. The driver has now completed 233 races, winning 71 and securing 127 podiums on his way to his four drivers’ titles. Hence, it can be said that, in a way, Verstappen’s growing up has happened within the F1 paddock, after having made his debut at the age of just 17.
The Red Bull man has been a sensation in the F1 world almost from Day 1, meaning privacy was never really a luxury for him. He made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2015, and was fast-tracked into the senior Red Bull team with a promotion in 2016. Verstappen made a statement straightaway, winning his first race with the Austrian team at Barcelona.
Max Verstappen “Relaxed” About Red Bull’s 2026 Power Unit
Max Verstappen has revealed that he is “relaxed” about the Red Bull Powertrains engine for 2026, saying he does not have enough of an idea about the power unit to be worried. He added that he simply wants to get a lot of laps behind him during the preseason tests with the RB22.
When asked what he expects to be the biggest challenge with the new DM01 engine, Verstappen replied: [via GPblog]
“I don’t think about that. I think we all want to be first, but we just want to get a lot of laps in and see where attention has to go. So at the moment, I’m just really relaxed about it all, because you don’t know, you have no idea.”
Max Verstappen’s new teammate, Isack Hadjar, on the other hand, had a few jokes when asked what he expects to be the biggest challenge in 2026, as he claimed that would be the engines exploding. The French-Algerian driver explained that it is important that the team stays cools as many unexpected challenges may occur in the first few months of the new regulations.
Hadjar also claimed that finishing the race would in itself would be a good milestone at the start of the 2026 season, highlighting concerns about the reliability of the new Red Bull-Ford engine. This is simply down to the unknown nature of a new engine, being developed by the Milton Keynes-based outfit for the first time.
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