Will Buxton shares heartwarming personal memory of Max Verstappen's character

F1 presenter Will Buxton has revealed a personal story that highlights Max Verstappen's considerate character away from the track, contrasting with the three-time champion's often intense and straightforward public persona. The anecdote involves a kind gesture Verstappen made towards Buxton's late father, an act the journalist says his father cherished until he passed away.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's dominant and sometimes abrasive on-track reputation often overshadows his off-track personality. Stories like this provide a more nuanced, humanizing view of a driver who is frequently defined solely by his relentless competitiveness and success, reminding fans and rivals that there's a thoughtful individual behind the helmet.

The details:

• Buxton recounted the story on the Up To Speed podcast, recalling the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix weekend when his parents visited.
• While escaping rain in the Red Bull motorhome, Buxton and his parents encountered Verstappen.
• Upon being introduced, Verstappen turned to Buxton's father and joked, "Oh, by the way, Will taught me everything I know," referencing a prior track day in 2014.
• Buxton emphasized the gesture was "totally unnecessary" but meant the world to his ill father, who would retell the story often in the months before his passing.
• Buxton concluded, "Max will never know how much that meant, and it was just lovely."

The big picture:

This memory adds depth to the understanding of Verstappen, who has been candid about his disdain for the superficial aspects of the F1 media circus. It underscores that his bluntness is not a lack of empathy but a preference for genuine, unscripted interactions. As his career continues to be defined by historic achievements, these glimpses of his personal character help complete the portrait of one of the sport's most consequential figures.