3x F1 champion Max Verstappen shares his biggest fears outside the racetrack

Max Verstappen is renowned for his fearless and aggressive moves on track. He is a driver who seemingly does not fear to dive down the inside or take lunges just to have a competitive advantage. However, off the track, the Dutchman claimed he has three big fears - sharks, snakes, and hairy spiders.

Verstappen recently interviewed with GQ Italia where he discussed everything about the sport, his life on and off the track, and his future goal. In one of the questions during the interview, the Dutchman was asked about his fears.

The three-time world champion responded:

"That, on the track, they don't make you push yourself to the max. Off the track, I admit, I’m terrified of sharks, snakes, and hairy spiders: in Australia, I always stay in a hotel, preferably on the upper floors."

While Verstappen fears these creatures outside the track, when he puts on his helmet, he is seemingly intrepid.

The 26-year-old joined the sport at the age of 17 and showcased undaunted drives from the beginning. During his initial years, Verstappen's aggressiveness earned him the nickname 'mad-max' within the paddock.

The Dutchman hails from a racing background. His father, Jos Verstappen, is a former F1 driver, and his mother, Sophie Kumpen, is a former Karting star.

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Max Verstappen ready to take the fight to McLaren in Singapore

Lando Norris of McLaren leads Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Source: Getty Images

Following the conclusion of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Red Bull lost their Constructors' title lead to McLaren and currently trails the championship by 20 points. They have 456 points, compared to McLaren's 476.

However, Max Verstappen is determined to take the fight to the Papayas and snatch the lead back in Singapore next weekend.

"What can I do for Singapore? Well, we're trying to optimize the set-up to understand what we did wrong here," Verstappen said in an interview after the Azerbaijan GP. "I don't think it's going to be our best track, naturally, but we'll see. It might surprise us."

"It's never nice to see [McLaren leading the constructors' standings]. But the fight is not over yet. We'll try to get that back," the Red Bull star added.

Notably, the Marina Bay Circuit is not the strongest track for Red Bull in terms of performance. It will be interesting to see how Christian Horner and his men tackle McLaren's dual attack when lights go out in Singapore City next Sunday.

As for the Drivers' Championship, Max Verstappen currently leads the table with 313 points after 17 races and three Sprints. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc follow him in P2 and P3 with 254 and 235 points respectively.