BETTER PARTSAre you finding F1 a bit boring lately? Then, according to Verstappen, you are 'not a real fan'
Clear language from the driver
The organization behind the GP of the Netherlands recently proudly shared that interest in tickets for the next two editions is 'greater than ever'. We are curious what the interest will be if Verstappen were to ever stop. The so-called 'Max Verstappen fans' can then show that they are 'real F1 fans'. Are you now whining that the sport is boring? Then, according to Verstappen, you are not a real fan.
Verstappen struggled for the first time this year during the Singapore GP. Together with his team he could not find the right set-up for the treacherous track. After a disappointing qualifying, Verstappen started from eleventh place. The Red Bull driver climbed nicely to fifth place, but the series of victories came to an end.
Verstappen: 'Then you are not a real fan'
At the front it was finally exciting again with Verstappen's absence. So you could say that the disappearance of Verstappen and Red Bull was good for F1. But Verstappen doesn't think about that at all: 'To be honest, I'm not interested in that. We have been defeated in a very clear way. I don't think about what is good for F1.'
According to Verstappen, the dominance is not necessarily bad for F1: 'We were simply better than everyone else. If people can't appreciate that, then you're not a real fan, but this is how it goes. We didn't perform and other people did a better job than us and deserved to win.”
How many real Verstappen fans watch F1?
It is hoped for Viaplay and other F1 rights holders that Verstappen fans are not placed under this heading. In 2014, when Verstappen just came around the corner and was allowed to practice with an F1 car, an average of 124,000 people in the Netherlands watched the F1 races. A year later when Verstappen made his debut, there were 309,000.
More than two million Dutch people now watch the F1 races. Figures from NMO show that the pinnacle will be during the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. Not really surprising, no. At that time, an average of 2.5 million people watched via Ziggo Select and 2.4 million via Ziggo Sport. Even now, F1 still scores well. The last edition of the Dutch GP was seen live by 2,293,000 on NPO 1. That is without the viewers of F1TV and Viaplay.