Max Verstappen has admitted to frequently talking to Virgil Van Dijk and other Liverpool stars, despite being a Manchester United fan.
While F1’s top driver was born in Belgium, Verstappen claims Dutch nationality.
“I’m a United fan,” Verstappen said.
“It’s not like I’m a die-hard United fan. I mean, I’m talking to Virgil [van Dijk] and Liverpool players, stuff like that.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
“For me, I enjoy it when I see a great football match and I think the Premier League is the best league out there. It has a lot of great players.
“I think Man City are winning a little bit too much, but then again, I can say the same thing about us [Red Bull]. The other teams need to get better.”
The Red Bull driver clearly follows football closely and gave insights into the Dutch perspective of their national team ahead of the 2024 Euros.
Former Everton manager Ronald Koeman will return to the Oranje hot seat ahead of this competition.
He said: “It’s a tough one, I think. At the moment we’re still not where we want to be. With Koeman back in charge I hope it’s going to go down well.
“I’m a big fan but I’m also realistic. At the moment we’re not the best national team out there, but you don’t need to be the best team out there if you play well together.
“You don’t need one superstar, it’s all about getting your tactics right.
“Let’s see, they just need to play a bit more together instead of swapping players in and out.”
Parallels can be drawn between Vertstappen’s comments on the Dutch national team and Red Bull’s situation with Sergio Perez.
Perez has seen a recent downturn in form and his contract is set to expire in 2024, which has led to much speculation about him being replaced.
READ: Charles Leclerc warns Ferrari will be ‘exposed’ at 2023 British GP
In contrast, the two-time world champion seems untouchable in the F1 world.
Verstappen currently leads the 2023 Driver’s Standings with 229 points – holding off Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by 81 points.
This extensive gap makes it likely that this year will see him bag a ‘hat-trick’ of world championships.