Two weeks ago in Jeddah, Max Verstappen missed the traditional Thursday press session due to poor health, but on Friday the Red Bull Racing driver was already on the track and did not mention his health during the weekend. In Melbourne, at the FIA press conference, Max said that at the last stage he felt much worse than it might seem from the outside.
Max Verstappen: “For a long time I myself refused to believe it. At home, I was really sick – so much so that I might hardly walk. I felt like I was missing one lung!
I arrived at the stage, thinking that everything was over. Usually two or three days following the illness I am fine and able to work, but when I got behind the wheel in Jeddah for the first training session, following the first fast lap I realized that I needed to drive two slow laps to restore normal breathing. The illness definitely took its toll on me this past weekend and I didn’t like it.
The race was one of the first in which I felt my physical limitations. This really upset me. After the weekend, I continued to work on recovery and now I think that I have noticeably improved. Everything should be fine this weekend.
The track in Jeddah is quite difficult, and if you feel bad, it greatly affects your abilities. You can catch the virus at any time, but I hope that by the end of the year everything will be fine with me.
The upcoming three-week break before the next stage will allow you to return to your usual training regime, so in a sense it is good that it will be. But usually, if I feel good, I prefer to race. It’s still a little strange to get a three-week break, especially at the start of the season.”
