Max Verstappen 'honoured' with surprise chant during Tour de France stage

The Dutch driver, who is currently at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, unexpectedly became part of the commentary highlights during Stage 12 of the Tour de France. As the riders passed the Magny-Cours circuit, a rider from the XDS Astana team was heard over team radio echoing the famous chant associated with the four-time Formula 1 world champion: "Dudududu Max Verstappen."

The chant has largely become Verstappen's unofficial anthem, inspired by DJ Peter Gabriel's song 33 Max Verstappen. It has since become a staple among Formula 1 fans around the world and has increasingly found its way into other sporting events. More recently, it was heard during the Nürburgring 24 Hours, where BMW driver Jens Klingmann sang it over the radio as Verstappen overtook him.

Stage 12 of the Tour de France, however, ended with Søren Wærenskjold emerging victorious. The Norwegian caught the sprint favourites by surprise with a long-range burst to win the fastest-ever stage in Tour de France history. The victory marked the 26-year-old's maiden Tour stage win and only the second for his team, Uno-X Mobility.

Shifting focus back to Formula 1, Verstappen addressed the rear wing issues that contributed to the two high-speed crashes he suffered in recent weeks.

After the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Dutchman had suggested the team had not been listening to his concerns over the issue. Ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen revealed that Red Bull had since investigated the incidents and reached conclusions over what caused the crashes.

"They investigated a lot of things and certain conclusions were reached. Some things are a bit harder to understand. It has all been recorded and we have talked about it, yes. I don’t need to, when I come back to the factory, say 'you’re not listening.' That’s not how those conversations go," he said to GPblog.

For the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, the Milton Keynes-based outfit has reverted to its more conventional rear wing specification, while further testing is expected to continue on the flexible rear wing design it has used since the Miami Grand Prix.