It’s astonishing to consider that Max Verstappen has been contending with this significant issue for the past three years.
Max Verstappen has remarkably disclosed that he has been dealing with a vision problem since his crash at the 2021 British Grand Prix, which occurred during a high-speed duel with Lewis Hamilton.
This incident was a pivotal moment in a season-long battle between the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers, culminating in the 26-year-old Dutchman winning his first title under controversial circumstances on the last lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
During the opening lap at Silverstone, Verstappen and Hamilton were vying for the lead through the high-speed Copse corner. Their slight wheel-to-wheel contact sent Verstappen hurtling across the gravel and into a tyre barrier with a 51g impact.
The fallout from the race was considerable, and only now has it emerged that Verstappen is still suffering from the after-effects of what was a heavy shunt.
Speaking to the Red Bulletin about his top 10 wins from the 61 he has amassed over his F1 career, Verstappen highlighted the 2021 United States GP as number seven on his list.
Explaining why, he said: “Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve been struggling with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards along the side of the track.
“In this race, I wasn’t just battling against Lewis, but also against blurry images. It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h!
“I’ve never told you this before, but for a few laps it was so bad that I seriously considered turning the car off.
“The only thing that helped was concentrating on my breathing while Lewis was breathing down my neck.
“An important victory that I desperately needed in the fight for the world championship.”
And Verstappen’s number one is…
As for the race at the top of Verstappen’s list, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is his maiden win on his debut with Red Bull after being promoted just 10 days earlier from Toro Rosso.
Though fortunate in one respect after Mercedes duo Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out on the opening lap, Verstappen showcased his talent by brilliantly defending from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen for 20 laps.
“My tyres were completely worn out, Kimi was putting pressure on me,” said Verstappen. “I knew that I had to get the last chicane right so that I didn’t give him a chance to brake in Turn 1.
“I was super focused and drove very defensively. I didn’t think that I would win until the final corner. I was so focused on my job.
“Nothing can top the first victory in F1. It was incredible because it came so unexpectedly. The team had said beforehand: get in, get used to the car, and see what happens.
“Yes, we were lucky because both Mercedes were gone, but you have to grab your chance when it comes.”
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