Max Verstappen marks 250th Grand Prix in Singapore with answers from his fan Q&A

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Max Verstappen has marked a major milestone in his Formula 1 career: this weekend, he will celebrate his 250th Grand Prix on the streets of Singapore. To mark the occasion, Verstappen took part in an exclusive reader Q&A in which he answered questions on his F1 journey, off-track interests, future hopes and other personal topics submitted by fans.

On the question of the best life advice he has received, Verstappen said: “Just be yourself! Stay with two feet on the ground.” He added that keeping grounded is, in his view, the most important element that has helped him across different areas of life.

A reader from Canada referenced the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, calling it one of the “gutsiest” races Verstappen has shown in wet conditions and describing the visibility challenges at high speeds. Verstappen responded that he had another race in Sao Paulo in 2016 in which visibility was even worse at times, but he explained that practicing driving in the wet helped. He said visibility is not great, but it is the same for everyone, meaning the key is to deal with it—while also noting that it was an important win for him at the time.

Verstappen also addressed an off-track “trust” question about babysitting his cats. His answer was Alex Albon, saying Albon “has cats himself,” which, Verstappen suggested, means he would know what to do.

When asked about a hobby that surprised him, Verstappen said he has taken up padel in recent years. He explained that he had not previously played racket sports, and he did not know it would become something he would enjoy, but added that he likes it a lot.

On fatherhood, a reader asked what the best part of being a new dad is. Verstappen said the best part is “just spending time with her and seeing her grow,” describing it as seeing “that it’s your little girl.” He framed the moment as directly tied to the joy of watching his child develop.

Discussing how he would handle an absurd scenario in which all drivers were stuck overnight at an airport, Verstappen said he would “solve the problem,” while also joking that it would be best not to get stuck at all. He also said he “wouldn’t” know who could make things worse, adding that once people are already stuck in an airport, it is hard to imagine what could be worse—then concluded: “Where would I be? Well, stuck at the airport!”

Verstappen was asked what he would do professionally if he were not racing in any form of motorsport. He said he would still work in motorsport, but “probably more in like a manager role,” or in an advisory capacity working with young talents if he had not succeeded in Formula 1.

Looking back across his first 249 Grands Prix, he said it was “hard to pinpoint” a single race that taught him the biggest lesson. Instead, he described learning from every race—some more than others—as part of gaining experience that helps make him a better driver, framing it as a general accumulation of lessons rather than one defining event.

Asked about values that help him succeed, Verstappen said he tries to live “as relaxed as possible,” cares “not really” about social media and aims to keep life “very simple.” He also emphasized being happy with the people he wants to live life with.

In response to a question about favourite food, he named “Tomato soup and beef carpaccio.” For relaxation after race weekends, he said his favourite way to unwind is going home and spending time with his family and children, trying “just not thinking about racing too much.”

Several questions turned to career mindset and legacy. On whether he has ever lost hope, Verstappen said he has not: he believes the key is to keep trying to work toward goals, acknowledging that progress is not always a straight line, but arguing that passion and love for the work help him keep going. On what he wants his legacy to be, he said people should remember him as “honest, straightforward,” and “always being myself,” adding that he wants to be remembered “exactly like I am.”