The new Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen wants to start the 2022 season exactly as he ended the World Cup year 2021: with a win.
“With the title there is more peace. My dream has always been to win the World Cup once. Everything that comes next is a bonus,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman on Monday evening in a documentary by “Servus TV”. “But I want to win again in the first race.” The record season of 23 races begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20th.
In a controversial last Grand Prix of the year in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen only caught Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in the championship fight on the last lap . The Englishman missed out on becoming the sole record world champion ahead of Michael Schumacher with an eighth title. Subsequently, the Silver Arrows challenged the ranking, but ultimately decided not to appeal .
“The respect is still there”
For Hamilton, his long-term rival Verstappen still has great respect. “In the end it was okay. Of course we had our moments and were maybe angry with each other. But we also had nice duels and overtaking maneuvers,” said the 34th world champion in Formula 1 history. “So the respect is still there.”
