Verstappen’s manager praises Max: ‘F1 in the Netherlands was in a deep winter sleep’

In conversation with Formula 1 Magazine, Vermeulen admitted that Verstappen has achieved something special. He witnessed how Formula 1 began to regain popularity in the Netherlands, after the sport, in his view, had been in a deep winter sleep.

Verstappen is of course the most successful Dutch F1 driver, followed by his father Jos. Vermeulen had already seen with Jos that something was stirred in the country, but Max’s success was of a different magnitude.

In 2021, Formula 1 returned to the Netherlands. After an absence of 36 years, Zandvoort was once again the stage for the pinnacle of motorsport. Vermeulen pointed to Max’s contribution: "I think we as Dutch people can be incredibly proud that the Grand Prix returned to Zandvoort. For a long time no one would have dared to dream that. Max has been able to win there a number of times and has given the entire micro-economy around the Dutch GP a huge boost. I think everyone realizes that it’s Max who moved the needle."

Former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has once again highlighted Verstappen’s ability to make the most of a difficult car. He believes the characteristics of the RB22 have made the Dutchman’s season particularly difficult to evaluate, with Verstappen regularly expressing his dissatisfaction over the radio as he searches for the balance he wants from the car.

Hinchcliffe also acknowledged the job Isack Hadjar has done alongside Verstappen, with the Frenchman proving more competitive than many of his team-mate’s recent counterparts. Even so, Verstappen continues to hold a clear advantage, with Hadjar scoring 62% of his points. Hinchcliffe noted that both drivers have struggled with the RB22, but the difference between them tends to become more pronounced as the car moves towards a balance that better suits Verstappen.

That advantage, in Hinchcliffe’s view, underlines how much Verstappen can still extract from the machinery at his disposal. He identified Hungary as the strongest example, with the four-time world champion once again managing to produce more from the car than its performance might have suggested.