Every sport has its moment in the spotlight.
And for one night in December 2021, I felt like the whole world was watching Formula 1.
Record numbers tuned in as Max Verstappen was crowned the 2021 F1 Drivers’ World Champion in the most controversial circumstances imaginable.
And that controversy followed Max throughout the season, as many questioned whether the 24-year-old needed to be so aggressive.
Last year, the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen turned intense. Wheel-to-wheel racing, spectacular crashes, off-track mind games, excitement, rage: it had it all.
This weekend, the new F1 season kicks off and people will be expecting more of the same, including the world champion himself.
“You want to be as consistent as possible. Of course, you know, you’re not a robot, things can happen,” Max tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.
There is no way to play well with Max. He readily admits how much he enjoys being called a world champion.
However, getting to this stage was not easy.
At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap to clinch his first Formula 1 title in spectacular fashion.
But there was controversy over how the safety car rules, which come out when there is a crash, were applied to slow down the cars and stop the race.
Many have said that the rules were not followed correctly and put Lewis Hamilton at a disadvantage.
Those rules have now been clarified by the sport’s bosses so the same thing doesn’t happen again.
But with such a controversial victory, people have wondered if he would beat the seven-time British champion.
“Clearly not. It is what it is. People have their own opinions and that’s fine,” says Max.
In Bahrain, just before the 2022 season starts, we find a different Max.
He jokes with reporters, laughs at football, exercise, and the weather. She’s back for a new year and she’s here to have fun.
Max has signed a new contract, which means he will be a Red Bull driver until at least 2028, which he says was “not really a difficult decision”.
He thinks it’s important to have a good time with the people he travels the world with, away from family and friends, which he does “with everyone on the team.”
“I enjoy working with the people here. We achieved our goal together.”
Max proudly wears the number one on his cap and on his car. He is the champion and this weekend he begins the task of winning it again.
“It’s about trying to understand that if today is not the day to win, I still need to score points.”
And despite some arguing to the contrary, Max admits that was his focus last year as well.
“An error or accident can happen in the blink of an eye.
“And when he does, when we race wheel to wheel, people are always very quick to say, ‘ah, but you shouldn’t have taken such a risk.
“But then you wouldn’t fight, you would always stay behind or not take the step.
“You have to calculate the risk.”
As Formula 1 moves into a new era, much remains unknown.
But one thing we do know. Max Verstappen will always fight. He has that number one, and he goes if he wants to keep it.
So with all the controversy that has erupted over the past year, will anything about his style change in 2022?
“Maybe my hairstyle, maybe a little shorter. My girlfriend likes it long, but I like it short. So you have to find a middle ground,” says Max.
Max is trying, not entirely convincingly, to keep a straight face.
“Oh, driving? That’s going to be the same, of course.”
Listen to the full interview with Max on The BBC 5Live Checkered Flag podcast.
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