Max Verstappen reveals how he prefers to prepare for a Formula 1 race. Motorsport is a unique branch within top-level sport, because performance depends on both driver and equipment. According to Verstappen, this also presents a challenge: ‘Unlike other sports, we cannot really practice our own sport’.
Read more Laurent Mekies looks forward to Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull debut: ‘He is doing everything right’
With the new Formula 1 season about to begin, preparations are in full swing. The test days in Barcelona and Bahrain have been completed, and the drivers are also busy getting physically ready for the first race in Australia. Max Verstappen reveals how he trains for a Grand Prix, in a sport where it is actually not possible to practice it properly outside of race weekends.
“Unlike other sports, we cannot really practice our own sport,” Verstappen says in an interview with Apple TV. “To train physically for a race, we therefore also have to go cycling or do other sports exercises. I don’t always enjoy that. I wish I could practice my own sport more.” The Dutchman illustrates his statement using a comparison with football. “In football, for example, you do the same things during training as during a match. For us, that is a lot more difficult. Of course we have the simulator, but that is not quite the same. You don’t have the G-forces. So you have to find the fun in other types of sports, to get yourself physically ready for Formula 1.”
Read more FIA presents new qualifying format, extends Q3 by one minute
‘As simple as possible’
Once the Formula 1 weekend has arrived, the main thing for Verstappen is to keep his preparations as simple as possible. “Every driver has a different approach to a race. For me, the most important thing is not to make things unnecessarily difficult,” the world champion explains. “As soon as I walk into the garage and put on my helmet, I am fully focused. I know what I have to do. This is because of my experience, because I have been doing this for a very long time. I keep it as simple as possible.”
Read more Oliver Bearman dreams of Ferrari seat: ‘I want to win titles there’
View the 2026 F1 calendar here
