Credits: IMAGO / ANP

In one of his earlier live streams with Team Redline, Max Verstappen openly showed his frustration when they randomly played the Dutch national anthem to mess with him. The Dutchman, like many F1 fans, is tired of listening to the same tune week after week. But, would he have it any other way? Surely he’d want to keep on winning but he also has an alternative tune for replacement.

In a snippet of an interview posted by @FanaticsFerrari on X, Verstappen said, “When I’m not winning, I happily listen to the Italian national anthem on the podium. On the podium, it’s not nice to not win, but when you’re not winning, and you hear the Italian national anthem, it’s a beautiful one.”

The three-time champion cleared that he was in no mood to see his dominant run end any time soon. Owing to his superior performances in 2023, the Dutch national anthem played 19 times. The form has carried over to 2024 as Verstappen has already won five out of seven races. But given a choice, he would perhaps swap his nation’s anthem with the Italian.

The snippet is possibly from the Emilia Romagna GP that concluded last weekend. That looks evident in the loud cheer that Max Verstappen got from the sea of Ferrari fans. His comment also lends legitimacy to Sebastian Vettel’s famous quote- “Everybody is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they’re not, they are Ferrari fans”.

Now, Verstappen’s liking for the Italian anthem could be due to his friend and old karting rival Charles Leclerc racing for the Italian outfit. The duo have continued their on-track tussle in F1 as well, trading poles and fighting for wins whenever they can.

The growing proximity between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were not always on the cordial terms they are on these days. Growing up, the duo raced against each other during their karting days. The future F1 drivers once crashed into each other, an accident that led to the famous “nothing, just an inchident” moment.

That rivalry has carried over as they race in the premier class of motor racing. However, tempers have relatively calmed down and the two seem to enjoy each other’s company. Verstappen and Leclerc often land on the podium and are seen sharing their views on the race in the cool-down room.

There is, however, a massive gulf between them when it comes to career achievements. While Max Verstappen is looking to bag his fourth world championship in 2024, Charles Leclerc is nowhere near his first. The Monegasque, however, is emerging as a challenger to his old foe as Ferrari continues to make progress with its car design.