Max Verstappen has not managed to win any of his last four F1 races, with the Dutchman being made to pay for cheeky comments he made about his British rivals
Max Verstappen saw the funny side of his run without a race victory by joking about the Dutch national anthem. The three-time Formula One champion stated “I would actually like to hear it, it’s been a while”, having previously aimed the same cheeky jibe at his British rivals
The Red Bull star’s unusual run without a win continued at the Belgian Grand Prix as he only managed to claim a fourth-place finish after climbing up from P11. It comes as quite the change in fortune for the 26-year-old Dutchman, who dominated on the way to winning his last two championships.
He had been basking in a rich vein of form earlier in the season when he teased British drivers Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and George Russell during an EA FC streaming session with friends. Upon hearing the British national anthem in the background, Verstappen quipped: “Haven’t heard that in a while!”
The trio have since hit back in style, letting their racing prowess speak for itself with a tally of four wins between them. Now it appears Verstappen has accepted his slice of humble pie, taking the opportunity to laugh at his own turn of fate.
Sim racing commentator Luke Crane said during a live stream: “Can someone play the Dutch national anthem?” to which Verstappen self-deprecatingly added: “I would actually like to hear it, it’s been a while!”
The racer chuckled despite several incidents where his frustrations have boiled over during races on the team radio this season. He swore numerous times during the Hungarian Grand Prix while voicing his anger at the team’s “s**t” strategy, while also criticising his car.
Fortunately, his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, is up next on the calendar. Scheduled for August 25 after the summer break, it offers a golden chance for Verstappen to secure a victory and once again hear the Dutch national anthem.
The last time he had the pleasure of taking in ‘Het Wilhelmus’ was at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Norris and Hamilton made up the rest of the podium places. With three consecutive wins at Zandvoort since its reintroduction to the race calendar for the first time since 1985, he will enter the race brimming with confidence.
And despite the recent setbacks, Verstappen still holds a comfortable 78-point lead in the drivers’ championship courtesy of his seven wins in the first 10 races of the season. McLaren star Norris lags behind in second place with 199 points.
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