Max Verstappen

Verstappen insists INCREDIBLE Cruyff link 'CAN'T be coincidence'

Verstappen claimed an incredible victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, just months after Cruyff's passing

Harry Smith

Tuesday 13 June 2023 08:57

Max Verstappen has revealed the link between himself and the late football legend, Johan Cruyff, detailing the impact he had on his career.

Verstappen struck up a relationship with the Barcelona and Ajax legend back in 2016 during Cruyff's battle with lung cancer.

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In a report from The Times, it was revealed that the duo had met back in 2016 during pre-season testing when Cruyff visited the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to meet his young compatriot.

Despite his positivity about his chances of beating the illness, Cruyff passed away just a few weeks after meeting Verstappen on March 24th, 2016.

Verstappen's Cruyff inspiration

As explained in his interview with The Times, Verstappen's first F1 victory, which was taken just two months after the death of Cruyff, produced an unexpected ode to his compatriot.

With a winning time of 1.41:40, Verstappen's total race time honoured Cruyff's iconic #14 twice.

Verstappen didn't think there was anything coincidental about the victory time either.

“For me, something like that — it can’t be coincidence. It’s very crazy that that has happened."

Verstappen claimed his first ever F1 victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix

Verstappen also explained how happy he was to have met Cruyff before his passing later in 2016.

“I am never a person who really likes to meet anyone like a famous person. I am not interested. Zero interest. But I was actually very happy that I’d met him."