Verstappen and Vettel swap helmets: 'He was there for me then'

The last Grand Prix of the 2022 Formula One season also means the last for Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen reflects on the departure of the four-time world champion and how much he has meant to the Red Bull Racing team.

Verstappen shares story about Vettel

"He has meant a lot to Red Bull. As a junior driver he achieved everything within the team," Verstappen explained to F1TV. "He has a career that many can only dream of. He is very caring. In the beginning of my career I had some heated battles with him, especially in the beginning of my career."

Verstappen has experienced Vettel's caring side himself. "For me, one thing I will always remember for the rest of my life. Last year in Silverstone, I came back from the hospital to my motorhome and he was there waiting for me when I got out of the car. He was like 'hey Max, how are you doing? Are you okay?' and that just shows how he is. A super nice, caring person. This weekend we are also doing a helmet swap," the two-time world champion continued.

Verstappen looks back on Brazil

Looking back on the race in Brazil, Verstappen speaks of a weekend that "was not great" for his team. He therefore thinks Red Bull has homework to do for next year, but is confident that it will be fine. "We have a few things that we need to analyze, but we have time before we get there again next year," said Verstappen.

Moreover, he stresses that some tracks simply suit the car better than others. The team also did not quite get the setup to its liking. "Some races are better than others, some tracks suit the car better than others. With one practice session, we didn't get the set-up right as well. That didn't help the performance," Verstappen said.