Max Verstappen has remarkably revealed from suffering with a problem with his vision since his crash at the 2021 British Grand Prix following a high-speed duel with Lewis Hamilton.
The incident was one of the flashpoints of a titanic season-long battle with the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers that culminated in the 26-year-old Dutchman winning his first title in controversial circumstances on the last lap of the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi.
On the opening lap of the race at Silverstone three years ago, Verstappen and Hamilton battled for the lead through the high-speed Copse corner, resulting in slight wheel-to-wheel contact that sent the former hurtling across the gravel and into a tyre barrier with a 51g impact.
The fallout from the race was considerable, and only now has it emerged that Verstappen is still suffering from the after-effects of what was a heavy shunt.
Speaking to the Red Bulletin on the top-10 wins from the 61 he has amassed over his F1 career, Verstappen highlighted the 2021 United States GP as number seven on his list.
Explaining why, it makes for remarkable reading as he said: "Since my Silverstone crash, I've been struggling with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards along the side of the track.
"In this race, I wasn't just battling against Lewis, but also against blurry images. It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h!
"I've never told you this before, but for a few laps it was so bad that I seriously considered turning the car off.
"The only thing that helped was concentrating on my breathing while Lewis was breathing down my neck.
"An important victory that I desperately needed in the fight for the world championship."
Viewed by others:
And Verstappen's number one is...
As for the race at the top of Verstappen's list, perhaps unsurprisingly it is his maiden win on his debut with Red Bull after being promoted just 10 days previously from Toro Rosso.
Although fortunate in one respect after Mercedes duo Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out after colliding into one another on the opening lap, Verstappen highlighted his talent by defending brilliantly from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for 20 laps.
"My tyres were completely worn out, Kimi was putting pressure on me," said Verstappen. "I knew that I had to get the last chicane right so that I didn't give him a chance to brake in Turn 1.
"I was super focused and drove very defensively. I didn't think that I would win until the final corner. I was so focused on my job.
"Nothing can top the first victory in F1. It was incredible because it came so unexpectedly. The team had said beforehand: get in, get used to the car and see what happens.
"Yes, we were lucky because both Mercedes were gone, but you have to grab your chance when it comes."
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!