By Sara Von Kienegger
Did Helmut Marko, the so-called “Physician of Motorsport,” actually say he’s involved about Max Verstappen’s future? And now we’re listening to whispers of a attainable sabbatical?
By the age of 27, Verstappen had already secured 4 world championships. He claimed his first in 2021—edging out seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in a now-iconic season—and went on to dominate the game by means of 2024, successful title after title with unwavering consistency.
For me, Formulation 1 isn’t only a sport—it’s a part of my upbringing. Rising up in Austria, the sound of burning rubber on asphalt was a well-recognized soundtrack every spring. When the season began, home windows flew open, recent air crammed the farmhouse, and households gathered across the TV. The boys watched intently, the ladies chatted within the background, and the youngsters performed. I might sit within the nook and draw—by no means removed from the motion, even when quietly so.
I nonetheless bear in mind these afternoons vividly: the high-pitched whm whm whm of vehicles flying by, echoing from the lounge.
This weekend, all eyes are on Jeddah—the second-largest metropolis in Saudi Arabia—as F1 followers throughout the globe tune in to look at the drama unfold as soon as once more.
I’ll admit, I reconnected with Formulation 1 by means of the Netflix documentary collection Drive to Survive, throughout my pre-COVID binge-watching days. Marko, who many in my hometown of Graz merely check with as “the physician,” leads the Purple Bull Driver Improvement Program and helped form the careers of each Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Unsurprisingly, he’s not precisely a fan of the present.
And maybe with good purpose. Netflix painted Max because the fiery younger rival—a polarizing character designed to generate drama and drive viewership. However in doing so, they missed one thing vital. Max Verstappen is without doubt one of the most humble, grounded athletes I’ve ever come throughout. The identical may very well be stated of his fiancée, Kelly Piquet—daughter of the legendary Brazilian champion Nelson Piquet.
Kelly is now anticipating their first little one. Some speculate this is perhaps the explanation behind discuss of a possible “break 12 months” for Max. Personally, I feel it’s simply noise.
If anybody can steadiness fatherhood with being a world champion, it’s Max Verstappen. Assuming he wins once more this season—and few would wager in opposition to him—there’s no purpose to doubt he’ll nonetheless be on the high come 2026.
