2024-04-05 16:08:57
Published5. April 2024, 6:08 p.m
GP of Japan: “Too much has already been said”: Is superstar Verstappen skiing illegally?
The Japanese GP is coming up this weekend. The racing drivers have been making headlines on and off the track in recent days.
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Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was skiing in the Japanese deep snow.
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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc drives in Suzuka with a special helmet – in honor of his god, who died in an accident.
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Williams driver Logan Sargeant crashed his car into the wall in first practice.
Verstappen the freerider
Triple world champion Max Verstappen used the last non-racing weekend to devote himself to things other than racing. Helmut Marko, head of motorsport at Red Bull, probably spilled the beans about Verstappen’s leisure activities in an interview with “oe24”.
“Max enjoyed the absolute best deep snow in the world in Japan,” said the 80-year-old. When he was asked whether Verstappen should ski at all, Marko replied: “I’ve already told you too much…” Until recently, skiing was forbidden for Verstappen. At the presentation of his car in January, the Dutchman said that he had had a skiing permit written into his contract. «Yes, I haven’t skied for five or six years. But I got to the point where I said: That’s enough!”
When asked whether that wasn’t dangerous, the 26-year-old replied: “Of course you don’t ski down the slopes like a madman.” You could also break a leg slipping in the shower.
Verstappen should stay at Red Bull
Recently there has been repeated speculation about the three-time world champion’s departure from Red Bull. Team boss Christian Horner is convinced that Verstappen will stay in 2025. The high-flyer will “100 percent” be in the Red Bull car next year, Horner told Sky.
Leclerc remembers the late Götti with his helmet
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will wear a special helmet in Suzuka. The number 17 is emblazoned on the side of the helmet. This belonged to his godfather Jules Bianchi. He had a fatal accident at the Japanese GP in 2014. Bianchi left the wet track and crashed into the rear of a recovery vehicle.
«A special helmet in memory of a very special person for me. Ten years ago we lost Jules here in Japan. So many shared memories that I will never forget,” writes the Monegasque in an emotional Instagram post.
Next Williams crash
The Williams mechanics have their hands full at the moment. Not with optimizations, which they would certainly prefer, but with repair work. Alexander Albon had an accident during free training in Melbourne. The Thai then got the car of his teammate Logan Sargeant, who missed the race because of it.
Now it’s Sargeant who dismantles his car into parts. In the first training session in Japan, he lost control of his vehicle after a careless mistake and ended up hitting the wall. The damage to the car was “significant,” said Williams team boss James Vowles. «The suspension is broken and the gearbox is torn. It will take a while until the car is whole again.” It is questionable whether Sargeant’s vehicle will be ready for the race.
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