Hill looks back at first ever interview with Verstappen: "Unbelievable"
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- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen made his debut in Formula 1 in 2015 at the age of seventeen. The Dutchman immediately impressed on the track in the Toro Rosso, but what also stood out was his maturity in interviews with the media. Damon Hill looked back at his first ever interview with the Red Bull Racing driver after Verstappen's first world title.
In the F1 Nation podcast he recalled how it went. "We interviewed him, and I just couldn't believe I was talking to this 17-year-old who absolutely had an answer for everything, and [he was] so just completely confident that his view was correct He had confidence in his own views, and he had answers. Unbelievable," Hill said.
What also impressed was that Verstappen was already proficient in the English language. The Dutchman knew how to make himself clear in interviews from the very first moment. On top of that, the 24-year-old Limburger speaks fluent German. People in the paddock didn't expect that from someone who was still a teenager at the time.
Mature Verstappen
Verstappen may have come across as mature in his interviews in his debut season, but he also regularly let off steam when something didn't suit him (even though he was mature for his age). When something unfair happened in Verstappen's eyes, he was quick to make it clear to the media. In recent seasons, Verstappen has been keeping a low profile when talking to the press, a sign that he has now really matured.