Skaines: In 2021 there was a war between Red Bull and Mercedes

      In 2020 Max Verstappen began working with a new personal trainer – Bradley Skains, who previously had no experience in Formula 1.

      On the High Performance podcast Bradley talked about what a shock the 2021 season was for him, when the fight for the title between Verstappen and Hamilton reached fever pitch.

      Bradley Skains: “2021 was the best experience of my life. I took a front-row seat and watched with my own eyes the contest between two great athletes.

      They weren’t just two of the greatest drivers. They were so good that they were running about twenty seconds ahead of the rest, yet over the course of the season they were separated by no more than a second.

      After some races we thought we would win the championship, and then it turned out we were in trouble. We fought… We know how it all ended in Abu Dhabi, but that year both drivers unquestionably deserved the title.

      A season of incredible pressure. I remember Brazil... There were three races left in the season, our pits were next to each other, as were our motorhomes. Staff from both teams had to walk past the rivals’ areas. And they seemed not to see each other – and didn’t talk.

      The tension was so intense you could cut it with a knife. And now you stop and talk to your counterpart at Mercedes or to colleagues you know, but in those final races it was a battle. It was a war.”