F1 Champion Max Verstappen Spent 14 Hours Playing THIS Video Game Moments Before Sipping the Victor’s Champagne

Almost every driver on the Formula 1 grid has a hobby they engage in away from the track. Max Verstappen is no different in that matter. He loves to play FIFA, which sometimes becomes an obsession. How big is the obsession? He was once rated among the best in the world and his playing hours during a race weekend shocked his team boss.

We all know about Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc being F1 streamers. Norris is even an avid golfer and photographer. Daniel Ricciardo has recently taken up photography as well. He also loves dirt biking with his friend in the off-season. 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is a huge adventure sports fan who sky-dives.

Max Verstappen and his obsession with FIFA

Thankfully, current champion Max Verstappen’s interests off the circuit are less thrilling. That, however, does not mean he does not take it seriously. In a recent article published on Red Bull’s official website, we learned how passionate Max is when it comes to playing FIFA.

Red Bull reported, “his [Max Verstappen] dedication to the game reached such heights that in January 2019—playing the handle crgboy007—he was ranked 21st in the world.”

“The F1 champ has throttled back since then, but he’s still such an avid player that he travels with his own personal PlayStation game case made by custom builder JZ Design. And at last year’s U.S. Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner revealed that Max had spent 14 hours across the weekend playing his favorite soccer game—and then won the F1 race.”

Read More: “We Really Have to Keep Pushing”: Max Verstappen Expecting a Lewis Hamilton-Like Fight as the Dutch Lion Gears Up For the 2023 Season

Verstappen may have been an elite-level soccer player in the virtual world, but he is no match to his teammate Sergio Perez in the real world. In fact, Checo mocked his teammate for his lack of skills in the game.

When Sergio Perez teased Max Verstappen for his lack of footballing skills

Before Max Verstappen won the championship in Japan this year, he went out for a fun outing in a park with Sergio Perez. The duo played a game of ‘keep it up’ with a fan in the park. Checo, like a professional, passed the balls smoothly to the fan. However, once the pass came to Max, he dropped it.

Max thought he had a perfect excuse when he said, “I got the wrong shoes”.

 Checo, displaying a quick wit, replied, “and wrong legs.”

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We consider ourselves lucky if we are good at one thing. But Max truly is a special talent. What do you think of the Flying Dutchman’s hidden talent?