"It's insane"- Max Verstappen remembers how he became really 'nervous' during the last lap for the 2021 F1 world championship against Lewis Hamilton 

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing attends the press conference after the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 10, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing attends the press conference after the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 10, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen reflected on the final lap of his battle at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. The Dutchman said that he hopes that the fierce last lap battle never occurs again and expressed his nervousness in the final moments of the battle.

Speaking to SPORTbible about the final lap that won him the 2021 title, Verstappen said:

“It’s insane. If you would say that before the season or even with a few races to go, and I would be like thats mental. Even the night before, I couldn’t imagine something like that. I hope it never happens again. Like, it never came up in my mind that I would be fighting in the last lap for the Championship. Last race, yes you can imagine it’s happened in the past. But last lap? Yeah.”

Describing the intensity of winning a championship on the last lap of the finale in 2021, Max Verstappen felt that it was an unfathomable scenario.


Max Verstappen felt nervous during the final lap of the season finale in 2021

Revealing his nervousness before the final lap at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP began, the 24-year-old Red Bull driver felt that the emotions running through him in the penultimate moments were different.

Reliving the final moments of the final lap of the finale in Abu Dhabi, the reigning world champion said:

“Quite a bit. I’m normally not a nervous guy but that that last lap, because you knew that you had to nail it to go further and have a chance to pass. So yeah, you are definitely a bit nervous. You also talk to yourself like ‘this is your chance and you’ve lived for that moment to be able to fight for a championship your whole life’, Or at least, for me, it was 20 years.”

He continued:

“You also tell yourself ‘this is it, you have to go for it’. So it is two different kind of feelings and emotions you have very quickly behind each other like in a second and then you just focus on your driving again.”

The Dutchman’s winning streak has continued into 2022 where he has dominated a significant part of the season and leads the current championship. With half a season left to continue the momentum, it will be interesting to see whether Max Verstappen can claim his second title this year.

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