© Getty ImagesThe Champion Returns: Max Verstappen’s HomecomingWorld Champion Max returns to Milton Keynes and is given a welcome to remember.
MaxVerstappenreturnedtotheRedBullRacingTechnologyCampusyesterdayandreceivedaguardofhonourfromtheentireTeamasorangeflareswereletoffbystaffalongBradbourneDrivewhenMaxarrivedon-site.
Arriving in an orange (is there any other colour?) Honda NSX, the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion was greeted by staff at the campus who lined up on either side of the road to welcome the 2021 Formula One World Champion. As he drove along orange flares were let off and loud cheers could be heard.
The Whole Team Welcomed Our Champion Back To Milton Keynes© Getty Images
When Max arrived at the entrance to the trophy room, he jumped out the NSX and was hugged by Christian Horner and Adrian Newey. But that wasn’t the end of his day, after this he was greeted by the Team and his RB16B. The staff moved to in-front of the main campus building to capture an all-Team photo. With Checo still in Abu Dhabi for testing, he was represented by a life-sized cut-out of him in the team photo.
“It’s an amazing arrival with everyone being there, outside in the cold waiting for me,” said Max. “It’s a great feeling coming back here as a World Champion. It was a full team effort. Winning the Drivers’ Championship is amazing and I couldn’t have done it without everyone here back at the factory, they’ve been continuously pushing to make the car faster and to come back as a champion is incredible.”
Christian was also quick to praise everyone within Red Bull Racing Honda, saying: “It’s a huge pleasure to work for this Team with the quality, the strength and depth that we have and it’s thanks to all those people that we’ve been able to achieve what people have thought impossible. We’ve demonstrated that if you want something badly enough, if you commit yourself to a dream, anything is achievable.”
A champion’s work is never done, however. When the Team photo was over, Max had a day’s worth of media interviews, marketing commitments and of course the Abu Dhabi staff debrief.
So, welcome home Max Verstappen, you are the World Champion, and as you said after the race on Sunday: “I hope we can do this for 10, 15 years together!”