Mika Salo understands Max Verstappen.

      Max Verstappen is one of those true motorsport enthusiasts who dedicates almost all his free time to racing – both virtual and real. This includes actively preparing for the May marathon "24 Hours of Nürburgring" during the season breaks, which is why he participated in the NLS series races.

      Rumor has it that Kelly Piquet, the girlfriend of the four-time world champion and mother of his nearly one-year-old daughter Lily, is not very pleased with this, as she believes Max could spend more time with the family.

      "It's very simple: Max is a racer, and our job is to compete in competitions," commented Mika Salo, a former Formula 1 driver, in an interview with the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti. "A five-week break does no one any good, as it is almost as long as the winter off-season.

      You can make up for some of it by practicing on a simulator, but it's still not the same as driving a real car. When the opportunity arises to get behind the wheel of a real car, why not take advantage of it? Formula 1 drivers easily adapt to any technology and take their performances in any competition seriously. They are true professionals and strive to maintain their reputation. It's all in their blood, and there's nothing you can do about it."

      Jari-Matti Latvala, another Finnish driver, a two-time world rally vice-champion and currently head of the Toyota factory team in WRC, expanded on this topic: "Probably, Nordschleife is one of the most challenging tracks in the world, and Formula 1 races have not been held there for a long time. But trying your skills there is a kind of temptation, and if a driver manages to succeed, there’s little that compares to those feelings. Unless it’s taming a wild horse.

      And I am familiar with the challenges on a family level. I went through this myself; we also had disputes about how to use free time. I wanted to participate in amateur rallies in addition to WRC, so it's a normal topic for family disagreements.

      But if you find the right partner during your motorsport career who understands the essence of racing, that's wonderful. However, when you finish your career, when your life changes, many other things change as well. Adapting to this and finding a normal balance is not that easy."