Racing and motorsport run through the veins of Max Verstappen. You’d expect that the man who’s dominated the very pinnacle of motorsport would be a fan of other racing series as well. Even though he’s admitted occasionally that he does religiously watch MotoGP, he’s still yet to get warmed up to NASCAR.

Max Verstappen is a busy man, no doubt. But according to him, his schedule does mean that he has to prioritize some things over others. And the choice to watch NASCAR falls squarely within the confines of that decision-making process.

The 2x Champion sat down with NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey for a retrospective chat about his 2022 season. But when he was asked whether he was interested in the American racing scene, Verstappen replied, “I always try to watch as much as I can. The thing is that, mainly, with IndyCar, when I come home from another race, that’s around 10-11 in the evening so that’s okay.”

“But normally, NASCAR starts around like midnight! So, unless I want to make it a late night, I can watch it, but unfortunately like for most of the nights, I struggle to watch it.”

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Even though Verstappen really isn’t able to take time out of his busy schedule to squeeze some NASCAR action in, he does have a huge amount of respect for that discipline of racing.

Max Verstappen gives his verdict on NASCAR

Formula 1 is the undisputed pinnacle of motorsport. It hasn’t also gotten there on the basis of popularity, though. It’s no secret that the complexity of the sport and how difficult it is to do well in it is a factor that plays at it. But for Verstappen, it would be a grave misconception to take NASCAR any lightly.

In an interview with Dan Katz, the 2x Champion explained, “It is a completely different discipline. For [Formula One drivers] to get good at it, it will also take quite a bit of time. You know, it’s not easy. It’s the other way around as well for them. To get good in an F1 car or whatever, it also takes time.”

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Verstappen has always shown an interest in trying out other racing options. But if he does retire, where do you think he’ll land next?