Alex Albon revealed that his former Purple Bull team-mate Max Verstappen is so chilled pre-qualifying that he opens FIFA packs.
Albon and Verstappen spent a season-and-a-half collectively in Purple Bull colors, Albon becoming a member of the line-up halfway by way of 2019 as a alternative to fellow Purple Bull programme driver Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen is thought to be a straight-to-the-point character, in 2022 for instance refusing to get caught up in discuss of the title already being destined to go his method due to an 80-point lead over Charles Leclerc within the Drivers’ Championship.
He additionally beforehand made himself unavailable for interviews for Netflix’s Drive to Survive F1 documentary collection, believing that sure conditions weren’t being portrayed precisely.
Verstappen then is a driver who likes to filter out the noise and to a sure extent, the glamour of Formulation 1 and maintain his thoughts targeted purely on the racing and the duty at hand.
Nonetheless, Albon would clarify simply how chilled Verstappen really is on a race weekend.
Whereas different drivers could have extra energetic or adrenaline-spiking methods of getting themselves into the zone, for Verstappen, he prefers to open some FIFA packs as an alternative.
Talking on The MotorMouth Podcast, Albon mentioned: “He’s very relaxed, and I’d say, I’ve all the time been all in favour of the truth that, Netflix or no matter, he’s by no means actually touched, and folks don’t actually see this aspect to him, folks don’t actually know this aspect to him.
“However yeah, I’ve been with him and he might be so relaxed and it’s virtually like I want I might be like that. The man is opening FIFA packs earlier than qualifying, you’re in a distinct stage.”
Albon remained Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2020 marketing campaign, however on the finish of that season was dropped to check and reserve driver, changed within the line-up by Sergio Perez.
And in Albon’s opinion, Verstappen, a driver with no time for “politics”, is probably the most “naturally gifted” racer that he was ever gone up in opposition to.
“I’d say he’s very a lot probably the most gifted driver I’ve ever raced in opposition to,” mentioned Albon. “And I believe it’s onerous to say…we examine the greats.
“However yeah, his driving does the speaking, there’s no politics, how he talks or how he speaks. He’s very straight to the purpose.”
Albon, like Gasly earlier than him, struggled to realize a stage of efficiency near what Verstappen may extract from the Purple Bull challengers, although is now rebuilding his profession with the Williams staff.
Just lately, Perez attributed his drop in kind to Purple Bull’s improve package deal taking the RB18 extra in direction of Verstappen’s like.
And Albon defined that Verstappen’s driving type may be very totally different to virtually each different Formulation 1 driver.
“He’s very spectacular and even I believe greater than that’s the method he drives the automobile,” Albon said. “He’s very exact, however what he desires in a automobile may be very totally different to most drivers.
“He desires a automobile that’s social right into a nook, it’s unbelievable. He actually likes to play with the automobile. However while you have a look at the steering it seems tremendous clean, nevertheless it’s not. I can let you know that automobile is extraordinarily sharp. And the key is velocity.
“And I raced in opposition to drivers, I’ve been team-mates with Charles [Leclerc], pushed in the identical automobile as a number of good drivers. I’ve all the time been recognized for somebody who loves entrance grip, loves to have the ability to put the automobile the place he desires to.
“After which this man is available in and he makes me appear like I’m driving a bus. I used to be like wow, okay, this appears very totally different. However he is superb.”