Max Verstappen nearly trashed his hotel room after a frustrating qualifying session in São Paulo – until he saw his dad sitting there, cool as could be.
“I was so angry, and then I see him so calm, that actually calmed me down,” Verstappen said on the Talking Bulls podcast.
It had been a rough start to the weekend. The three-time world champion got knocked out early in qualifying and faced a grid penalty that would push him all the way back to 17th place.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. His main rival, Lando Norris, was starting from pole position.
“I could really feel it in the office when we were preparing for the race – there were a lot of sad faces,” Verstappen recalled. “Everyone was quite nervous. It could’ve been a massive point swing in the championship.”
Then the rain came.
For Verstappen, those wet conditions changed everything. The Dutch driver lit up the track, picking off competitors one by one as he charged through the field.
“I like to drive in the wet,” he said. “But you never know what will happen – you might get taken out or spin off yourself because it’s very difficult.”
None of that happened. Instead, Verstappen put on a masterclass, working his way from 17th all the way to victory.
It was the kind of performance that defines champions. By the time he crossed the finish line, Verstappen knew he had just locked up his fourth world title.
“I was relieved,” he said simply. “As soon as I won that race, I was like, that’s it.”
The victory was extra sweet given how the day started. From nearly destroying his room in frustration to standing on top of the podium – it was quite the turnaround at Interlagos.
