Verstappen reveals the great love he had to give up for Formula 1

Verstappen admits he has tremendous admiration for what the riders are capable of. The four-time world champion says he still follows the sport closely and used to ride minibikes himself. Speaking on Pirelli’s YouTube channel about his interests outside F1, he quickly lands on MotoGP.

He said: “Well, MotoGP, because when I was a kid, in my off-season I also used to race like these mini bikes. I enjoyed that a lot."

The Dutchman soon realized where his greatest talent lay. “I think I realized I was a bit more talented on four wheels, but I still enjoyed it a lot,” he added.

At the same time, as a fan, he’s very aware of the risks that come with the sport. “You can hurt yourself quite badly. When I'm watching MotoGP, I’m quite aware of also the danger.”

Verstappen is especially impressed by the speed and the way the riders control their bikes. “[The bikes] go incredibly fast on the straights. I just find it insane to watch; the bikes are monsters,” he added.

Verstappenwas then asked whether he could hang off the bike that far himself when he rode minibikes.

He still follows the sport avidly. “I try to watch it every time, every single weekend, if it’s practice, qualifying, or the race,” the four-time F1 world champion concluded.

Many in the F1 paddock are also interested in MotoGP. For instance, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner joined Tech3 in 2026 and has openly talked about plans to play a bigger role within the team's future.

It was also recently announced that Pierre Gasly will invest in that same team. Meanwhile, several F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, say they’re big MotoGP fans as well.