Max Verstappen

'Seriously?' - Max Verstappen's brilliant reaction to F1 fans trying to give him advice

Sheona Mountford Wednesday 25 February 2026 14:56

Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar, generic, Red Bull, 2026

Max Verstappen's attempt at acting has been unearthed as he responded to unsolicited advice from F1 fans.

There comes a time in every sportsperson's career where an endorsement forces them to employ their dramatic skills. In F1, Murray Walker and Damon Hill's 1996 Pizza Hut ad stands out, a tough act to follow for those who come after.

But Verstappen tried his best, bless him, three years ago for an advertisement with CarNext and their dubiously named campaign 'Fangineer'.

During the advertisement, CarNext asked fans to give Verstappen some advice to which the Dutchman responded: 'Seriously?'

Amongst ordinary fans, his father Jos Verstappen was on hand to deliver advice, albeit with an eyebrow raise from his son, and the former Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

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What is 'Fangineer'?

Glad you asked! CarNext and Cheil partnered to give F1 fans a direct line to share their insights with Max Verstappen and to spark engagement during race weekends.

Described as 'Max Verstappen's Virtual Wingman' that is 'powered by fan predictions', the feature asks fans questions like 'what tyre will Max Verstappen start on' or 'what's the best place to overtake on this circuit', allowing them to interact live during the F1 action.

Fans can also see their global ranking, based on the points they accumulate and their influence score.

'Fangineer' launched in 2021 and at the time was the world’s first algorithm assistant, weighing up the contribution of the fans, and those who distributed better advice were given more weight next time. According to Little Black Book, in 2022 the platform attracted 93,606 unique 'Fangineers'.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen