“I had been nervous all day”: King Willem-Alexander on watching Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s ultimate showdown in 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Hailing from the Netherlands, Max Verstappen is one of his country's most popular sports figures. Verstappen's title-winning campaigns in 2021 and 2022 have directly influenced F1's boom in his native land.

Verstappen's on-track exploits in his maiden title-winning season attracted much attention, including that of the Dutch royal family. King Willem-Alexander has revealed that he supported the Red Bull driver in 2021 to become the Netherlands' first F1 champion.

Verstappen's road to glory in 2021 wasn't easy as he faced the might of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. After a titanic battle throughout the season, both drivers reached the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi with equal points.

King Alexander was one of the millions who anxiously watched the season finale. Describing the race, he admitted on his podcast, Through the eyes of the king:

"I was watching at home and I had been nervous all day. I had convinced the children all day that they also had to watch. During the race it didn't look like Max was going to win. I thought to myself, 'I'm not leaving the TV because I've been on it all day, whipping the family up for this.' If things don't go well now, stay put."

The King added:

"I was capable of that haha. Fortunately, I didn't do that then."

King Alexander echoes the feelings of the entire Dutch nation, which was glued to their screens for the entire race. His majesty's patience paid off as Max Verstappen emerged as the victor, bringing home the championship.

The 2021 Abu Dhabi GP remains one of the most controversial races as ended in a bizarre fashion. A late-race safety car turned the race on its head, flipping the fortunes for both drivers. A mishandled restart procedure meant Verstappen took the checkered flag to win the championship, while Hamilton had a dominant race.

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Nyck de Vries describes Max Verstappen as a "genuine" human being

Dutch drivers Nyck de Vries and Max Verstappen

AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries describes fellow countryman Max Verstappen as a "genuine" human being, as he recently opened up about their friendship. De Vries and Verstappen have known each other for a long time while racing in the junior categories.

Speaking about the two-time world champion, De Vries said in an interview with GIVEMESPORT:

"We chat regularly. We've known each other since we were kids and I respect him a lot and admire all those achievements and accomplishments. He is a really good human being. He is very genuine, always. I would say he has never changed since I've known him, like never."

He added:

"We've talked a lot about racing together, and sort of through that, obviously, comes kind of advice. I wouldn't call it specifically 'advice,' but it's similar to how, you know, friends talk about football or talk about racing in school."

Nyck de Vries, currently in his rookie season, will be hoping to emulate Max Verstappen's path to success in the sport.