Verstappen: Hamilton does things 'not available for me'

Max Verstappen insists he will not be following five time world champion Lewis Hamilton out of the back of a plane any time soon. Hamilton recently shared that he had obtained his solo skydiving license as he enjoys the pre-season period before testing.

Asked if he too will be jumping out of planes soon, Verstappen told De Telegraaf newspaper: "At the moment certainly not."

Verstappen, 21, has clear number one status at Red Bull this year, with the team tipped to potentially take on Mercedes and Ferrari with its new works Honda power unit.

That is why the Dutch driver rules out skydiving.

"Lewis is of course already 34 years old," he said. "Of course I do not know what my life will look like in 13 years."

Verstappen said that with his five titles, Hamilton can afford to take extra life risks.

View this post on Instagram

Got my skydiving license ?? the feeling of free fall is incredible. Surfing and skydiving in the same day is the ultimate day for me. Have you skydived yet? If not, put the fear aside and go ???????? #freedom

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Feb 2, 2019 at 11:13am PST

"Lewis has already won so much," he said. "So skydiving, why not? You also have to enjoy a bit of life, of course.

"But for me the risks are greater. Of course I do not want to get injured so that I might not be able to win the championship. So even skydiving is not available for me now."

Verstappen said he enjoyed a break from training for a couple of weeks over the winter, "but now we have been busy for a while".

The 21-year-old revealed that he will be first at the wheel of the 2019 Red Bull-Honda at the forthcoming Barcelona test.

"I feel like going out that first time," said Verstappen. "To see how the Honda engine feels. I'm already looking forward to that."

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