At the press event in Salzburg: Jürgen Klopp poses with a Red Bull Formula 1 car and wonders what makes four-time world champion Max Verstappen tick
He sits on a stage between two Formula 1 cars, later casually on a front wheel and smiles at the camera: football coach Jürgen Klopp has arrived in the Red Bull universe, where he will now work as the “global football boss” – according to the official role description.
And if the first big media event in the Hangar-7 in Salzburg takes place in a Formula 1 environment, what are the chances of further points of contact between Klopp and the Red Bull motorsport program? Klopp himself is open to an exchange of experiences.
The former football manager of Liverpool, Dortmund and Mainz is fascinated by four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and would like to meet the racing driver. After all, “there are so many things to talk about,” says Klopp.
He is specifically interested in “how focused he is” in the race car. He also wants to “understand how he can do that in a car at 300 [kilometers] per hour and still be in his absolute best shape,” said Klopp.
He considers the like “really crazy” and “super interesting” and therefore really wants to talk to Verstappen about “all kinds of things”. However, there is no date set yet for a conversation with Verstappen. It seems likely, though, that the paths of the two Red Bull protagonists will cross internally at some point.
Max Verstappen: A career in the fast lane
Verstappen is considered an exceptional talent among the current Formula 1 drivers. In 2013 he was still the karting world champion, but in 2014 he was already racing in Formula 3 and just one year later in Formula 1. At his Formula 1 debut, Verstappen was just 17 years and 166 days old. That is a Formula 1 record.
And it continued in the fast lane: in 2016, Verstappen was promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull. Right in his first race for his new team, Verstappen won sensationally because the Mercedes drivers had crashed into each other’s car in the Spanish Grand Prix.
In 2021, the next milestone: Verstappen became Formula 1 world champion for the first time in the controversial final race in Abu Dhabi and went on to win the drivers’ title in the following years, in 2024 for the fourth time in a row. With 63 Grand Prix victories, he already ranks third in the all-time Formula 1 winners’ list, behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
And Verstappen is far from finished: his current Red Bull contract runs until the end of 2028, although Verstappen has repeatedly emphasized that he doesn’t want to race in Formula 1 forever, but rather pursue other interests one day. So maybe Klopp will inspire him to play soccer when they meet.