Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen offered an exclusive look inside the complex, high-pressure world of elite racing, addressing fan and internet questions on the WIRED channel's "Tech Support" segment. The interview delved into the technological backbone of race strategy, the definition of true driving greatness, and the often-misunderstood excitement of wet racing conditions.
For strategy, Verstappen revealed that his team, in collaboration with Oracle, runs an astonishing "over 8 billion simulations before the race basically starts". This intensive data modeling provides "a lot of opportunities" to ensure the team has the "right strategy out there" and "know when to pit basically". The core decision of when to pit revolves around the undercut (pitting early) versus the overcut (staying out longer). Verstappen noted that the undercut is often the way to go because high tire wear can make a car "2 seconds slower than when you put a new tire set on" at the end of a stint. However, certain tracks, like Baku, allow for the overcut because tire degradation is low and the decreasing fuel load provides more lap time, which is crucial when warming up new tires between walls can be "quite tough".
Responding to a critical fan comment on WIRED that claimed wet races are boring and slow, Verstappen shot back: "sir or ma'am you are an idiot wet races are not boring cars are not slow and there is racing". He stressed that driver mistakes are "definitely not the only entertainment" and that he enjoys wet races, noting that they "can be very entertaining" depending on the timing and amount of rain. For the track statistically most exciting for overtakes, accidents, flags, and unexpected winners, Verstappen suggested Baku, citing its history of unpredictability.
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On the topic of driver performance, the WIRED segment allowed Verstappen to define greatness in the sport. He believes the difference between a "good driver and a great one" lies in being "consistently performing well," particularly "when the pressure is on you know to get the best out of yourself". To improve the critical skill of overtaking, his simple advice is to "practice a lot" because "practice makes perfect". However, he noted that reviewing old onboard footage is only a limited reference because F1 cars change every year, altering the balance, and external factors like "the weather has a massive influence as well [and] the wind direction has a big influence".
The physical and mental demands of the sport are immense. Verstappen stressed that drivers must be physically fit; otherwise, they "can't perform at your very best" because of the "lot of forces" on the body during the one-and-a-half-hour race. Mentally, he places himself "on the least side of things," performing only simple warm-ups for his muscles and "some tiny reaction games" before easily jumping into the car, though he acknowledged that some drivers need "all different kind of prep".
Verstappen also addressed F1's surging popularity in the USA, citing the Netflix documentary series as something that "helped a lot". He also credited the sport's ownership for pushing awareness by hosting three races in the US. Looking ahead, he anticipates that the 2026 F1 cars will be "very different" to drive, as "the engine is already completely different," which will necessitate "a different kind of driving style". The rule change he believes has most genuinely improved competitiveness, despite being a "love hate relationship," is DRS, which allows drivers to open the rear wing on straights to fight into braking zones, preventing "a lot of boring races" on some tracks. Since drivers cannot practice often in the real F1 car throughout the year to reduce costs, Verstappen confirmed he spends around 20 to 25 full nine-to-five days a year on the simulator, in addition to time discussing strategy with the team. His most memorable moment remains winning his first race, an event he says he will "always remember".
