"That started with my father": Max Verstappen on the love for his favorite football club

Max Verstappen has been a huge fan of Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven and in a recent interview, he revealed that his love for the club started because of the association it had with his father. Verstappen's father Jos was sponsored by Philips during his racing career, as a result of which he would frequently get invited to PSV matches.

Football has been a stable for other F1 drivers as well. Sergio Perez, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, is an avid fan of the Mexican national team. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is a massive La Liga fan.

Drivers have even taken part in charity football matches in the past. Verstappen, on his part, is a huge PSV fan and even joked in 2023 that he would give up a season of racing for the Dutch team to win the league title.

In conversation with Formule1, the Dutchman was questioned where his love for PSV came from, He replied his father Jos Verstappen being sponsored by Phillips was the start of the love affair.

“That started with my father when he was sponsored by Philips. At that time he was regularly invited to PSV matches and sometimes I accompanied him. Gradually a certain bond grows, a click, and you can also associate yourself with that club," he said.

"PSV emotionally suits me better than, say, Ajax. The Amsterdam mentality is different from the Eindhoven warmth. And Limburg is of course also closer to Brabant, in terms of distance, but also in terms of mentality,” the Red Bull star added.

Max Verstappen also joked that his love for PSV didn't have anything to do with a specific player as he always tries to follow every game of the club.

“By the way, I don't have anything to do with a specific footballer. I'm not a football player myself, although I sometimes kick a ball. I especially enjoy watching matches. I really try to follow all PSV matches, if I can manage it in terms of planning,” he explained.

Max Verstappen admits not being a huge fan of music

Max Verstappen also shared an interesting bit that he wasn't a huge fan of music. The Dutch driver was asked what he listened to while training or running to which he replied:

"Not much. I hardly ever listen to music. Not even for a race. I know other athletes do that, to relax or recharge. I personally don't have that need at all. I sometimes play music in the car when I have to go somewhere, but that's about it. No, not even during training or during boring, mind-numbing endurance runs."

"For example, I hate wearing earplugs when running. I find it terribly inconvenient to carry anything at all. I also take off bracelets or my watch. The only things I wear are my clothes, which seems sensible to me, haha,” he continued.

Max Verstappen will be targeting what would be his fourth world title in the upcoming season with Red Bull. The Dutchman embarked on a record-breaking spree in 2023, winning 19 races.