Asked if the Verstappen factor has played a part in this renewed commitment, he replied, “Less than you think. I think it’s more just where I am in life, I’ve got great things happening outside, I’m building things outside of the sport. I have my foundation that I’ve just started and that will take a lot of work. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done still within the sport. And I can’t retire because I’m only just embarking on helping a shift in creating a more open and inclusive environment here in the sport. And I want to stay to help that continue. Also I’m feeling healthier than I have been, in terms of what I eat and have. I love racing, I’ve been doing it a long time, all I can remember since I was five years old. That’s not going to go away and if I’m still fit and able to be focused, why would I stop? I can still do all the other things I want to do at the same time.”
These are not light tasks and if – with the help of a fully competitive Mercedes – he can achieve them all, on track and off, it will be an extraordinary accomplishment even by his own record and mould-breaking standards. He has nothing left to prove, but it will be great seeing him go about proving it anyway.