Max Verstappen has reflected on his 2021 title showdown with Lewis Hamilton, stating he would "fear a heart attack” if he had to go through it again.
Verstappen won his maiden title at the end of a tensely fought campaign against the seven-time champion.
Verstappen and Hamilton entered the Abu Dhabi finale level on points. Hamilton, then with Mercedes, looked on course to seal a record-breaking eighth title before a late safety car changed the race.
A controversial last-lap restart placed Verstappen behind Hamilton on fresher tyres, allowing him to make the overtake and seal the title.
Despite it being a special day in his career, Verstappen stated he has no interest in reliving the moment.
“I don’t want to experience that Sunday again, I’d rather not, because I would fear a heart attack for myself,” Verstappen told Formule 1 magazine.
“The whole season was very intense with a showdown in the last lap of the last race.”
The season has been described as one of the most dramatic in F1 history and could be the subject to a professional film production in the future.
"Well, I don't need to see myself in the cinema later!” Verstappen said of the possibility.
“But that whole season was very intense, with two teams that went to the limit. And that is something you have to admire, and that is good for the sport.
“Two teams that made so few mistakes for a whole season, that was really beautiful and special."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they dissect a controversial Canadian Grand Prix. Red Bull's rejected protest against George Russell's victory and the shock intra-team crash between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are main talking points.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Explore the latest F1 results and every stat you can imagine - From Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher and from Ayrton Senna to Lewis Hamilton — explore every stat from the first Grand Prix to the latest race.
Explore the RN365 Stats HubMost read
In this article
Join the conversation!