Max Verstappen’s ex-trainer makes Lewis Hamilton admission after exit from F1

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton shake hands at the end of the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen’s former trainer, Bradley Scanes, has conceded he did not even know who the Dutchman was before he started working with him – but did know Lewis Hamilton.

Scanes, having parted ways with Verstappen at the end of the 2023 season in order to spend more time with his family, recently appeared on The Red Flags podcast to discuss his time with the three-time World Champion after four very successful seasons together.

But, at the very start of the partnership, Scanes admitted he had to do an awful lot of Googling!

“I didn’t even know who Max Verstappen was”

“Before I started working with Max, I didn’t really know anything about motorsport and F1,” Scanes said.

“I didn’t even know who Max Verstappen was.

“I googled a lot to read myself in, to keep track of everything. I knew Hamilton was successful, but that was about all.

“The first F1 race I watched was in the Red Bull garage with the mechanics!”

“In December 2019, I met Max and in the second week of January and I started working with him. In the meantime, all of December, I watched and read everything about F1. Everything I could think of.”

The secret to success with Max Verstappen

Keeping a mean, lean racing machine in the form of Max Verstappen in peak physical condition is no easy feat given the continuous increasing demands that come with each and every F1 calendar.

And Scanes revealed that five key principles ultimately proved to be the recipe for great success between them.

“Being easygoing, being honest and direct, being trustworthy and being loyal,” Scanes said when asked about what the relationship with Verstappen was build upon over the years.

“That defines the Verstappens and the group around them.

“Everyone says the Dutch are very direct, but in top sports, you have to be open, you have to be honest with each other there. So I was already used to that.”

Knowing his time with Scanes was coming to an end, Verstappen moved quickly to prise Rupert Manwaring away from Carlos Sainz’s camp ahead of the F1 2024 season, where he will be hoping to add a fourth World Championship trophy to his trophy cabinet.

Scanes also gave an insight into the gruelling F1 schedule in his parting message to Verstappen on social media, showing just how much time is spent away from home.

“4 years. 368 flights. 3 World Championships. 1 great friend,” he posted on social media.

“I’m going to miss you mate. We pushed. We had fun. We won. We accepted nothing less.

“Maybe I added a few percent here and there but you keep doing you my friend, this is just part of your magical story. Thank you for being part of mine.”