Formula 1 Driver Max Verstappen Celebrates 3rd World Championship Victory With 5 Gin and Tonics
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, gives a press conference ahead of the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. (Photo: AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Celebratory exuberance characterized Max Verstappen’s World Championship victory in Qatar, a momentous occasion in Formula 1 history. In a deviation from standard athlete nutrition protocols, according to PlanetF1, Verstappen opted for an unconventional celebration, toasting his triumph with a noteworthy five gin and tonics.
Verstappen secured his third World Championship on a Saturday, a departure from the traditional Sunday finish. This unique scheduling was a result of Formula 1’s introduction of sprint race weekends, adding an element of unpredictability to the title race, PlanetF1 explained.
Christian Horner, the team boss of Red Bull Racing, found himself in the role of celebration overseer. With another race under the 42-degree Celsius Qatari sun scheduled for the following day, he stepped in to curtail the festivities and encourage rest for the team.
“He’s just a good guy, and he’s a fun guy,” Horner shared during an interview with Dax Shepard’s “Eff Won” podcast. “And he’s old-school as well. He won the championship in Qatar, and I said, ‘Okay, let’s get the whole team together. We’ll just have a couple of drinks. It’s not every day you win a World Championship.’”
“But it was unusual to win it on a Saturday, right? We’ve a grand prix by the way in 42 degrees on Sunday. So everybody needs to be in bed at a sensible time.”
“Max is five gin and tonics in and we need to stop, everybody needs to go to bed now. So everybody was hanging on Sunday. You’ve got all the drivers passing out with the heat, I think Max was on some kind of detox!”
According to PlanetF1, Verstappen playfully attributed Formula 1 to implementing a format that could result in an unconventional championship celebration.
“I blame F1 for that, for introducing the sprint weekends,” Verstappen informed Channel 4, per the report. “These kinds of things aren’t in your control, I always try to score as many points as possible and that made it possible to win on a Saturday. It’s okay.”
While Verstappen’s post-victory indulgence may have raised eyebrows in the world of sports nutrition, it had no detrimental impact on his performance. The Dutch sensation, known for his aggressive driving style and relentless determination, stormed to his 14th win of the season in the subsequent race, cementing his status as one of Formula 1’s most prevalent and celebrated figures.
In October, fellow Formula 1 star Yuki Tsunoda said that he “will forever thank” Verstappen for introducing gin and tonics to him.
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