Max Verstappen DEMANDED Red Bull change policy just for him

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Verstappen DEMANDED Red Bull change policy just for him

The two-time world champion wanted a change in their design rules

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 7 September 2023 22:57 Updated: 07:57

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Max Verstappen has revealed that his team bent the rules they've set for other drivers in order to allow him to have his own special helmet design.

The two-time world champion has been in supreme form this season, winning ten races in a row to break the Formula 1 record for consecutive race victories, and has put himself in a position to comfortably win his third consecutive drivers' world championship.

Red Bull has become his home in F1, with team principal Christian Horner and the rest of the team slowly but surely building a car that suits Verstappen's exceptional talent perfectly, and taking him from his first race victory in 2016 to be a dominant force in the sport.

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Now, Verstappen has revealed to Dutch broadcast company Viaplay that the team have been lenient with his helmets to allow him to race with the design that he wants.

He said: "Before, whilst karting and also in Formula 3, I always drove with my own helmet design, and when I signed with Red Bull you actually lose a lot of your own design, because there's a big Red Bull logo on everything. So it took me a couple of years to push this through.

"Actually, all Red Bull helmets, they get Red Bull pasted on there first, and then you have to design around it. I said, I'm going to make my design first, and then we stick Red Bull in it."

"I think that it's important"

Verstappen often has extravagant-looking helmets

Lewis Hamilton has spoke previously about the importance of a driver's helmet, and how it allows him to maintain his identity whilst racing.

Verstappen clearly has the same beliefs, and looking good whilst he's putting in dominant performances might not seem important from the outside, but looking back on humble beginnings as a young kart racer helps to keep him grounded.

Hamilton even suggested recently that it was his Dad who chose for him to have a bright yellow helmet in his early years, so that he could tell which driver was him. Verstappen also thinks this is important, particularly amongst drivers in the same team.

"It's just kind of your identity, so of course I think that's important," Verstappen continued. "That's the only thing you're recognised by when you're in the car. The rest of the car is the same as your team-mate."