Shadowing Practice: MAX VERSTAPPEN INTERVIEW! | 2026 Pre-Season | Being a Dad, his underdog era + F1's new rules - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Max for Sappen, welcome back to the Fast and the Curious.
2
How was your winter break?
3
What did you do?
4
Yeah, it was pretty short.
5
You know, everything started a bit more early but it was okay, you know, just spending time with family really.
6
That was the most important target and I think we had a good time.
7
You've got a young family, so was it a restful break because sometimes the early stages of having a young family are not that restful?
8
We've been very lucky with that to be honest.
9
Really?
10
She's been really, really nice.
11
Sleeps well.
12
Sleeps well.
13
Easy baby so far.
14
Oh, great.
15
What's the best non-F1 thing that you think you've done in the last few months?
16
Give us an insight into your hobbies.
17
We'll say few months, few weeks.
18
Few weeks, yeah.
19
I mean, besides family related stuff, probably just driving back in the GT3 car.
20
Driving?
21
This is what I can't get my head around how F1 drivers drive for their career
22
and then when they have some time off you just get back in a car again.
23
Do you not want a break?
24
Yeah, but I'm already of course preparing for the season and also for the GT stuff, you know, so I need to be involved, I like to be involved.
25
It just excites me.
26
It's different to F1, right?
27
A different kind of feeling also while driving and yeah, it's a big passion of mine.
28
Sometimes when a Formula 1 driver is dominating, they can become a bit of a panto villain, right?
29
I think you've had a bit of that in your career.
30
You probably agree with that assessment.
31
But last year, when you're not dominating anymore and you're the chaser, we felt on this podcast, didn't we?
32
People loved you, Max.
33
People loved seeing you in this different role.
34
I'm aware you'd have rather won the Formula One World Championship, but did you feel the feeling changed last year when you were in this different role?
35
Yeah but honestly like I've not changed you know as a person it's just
36
that yeah you are in a different role naturally
37
because you're not winning as many races as we did before
38
but at the end of the day for me it's more important did I change?
39
No I didn't so that's yeah that's the only thing that I can really say about that.
40
Did you feel like the fans love for you more though?
41
Did you feel that change?
42
I guess when you're a bit of an underdog, probably that happens a bit naturally, but of course it's nice.
43
Yeah, it's nice to have people cheering instead of booing or whatever.
44
Did you like being the underdog in a weird way?
45
No, no. But was it fun in some ways?
46
Because as much as you'll have loved the winning days, there are races where you're up front and you check out, and you racing drivers love to race,
47
and in a weird way you do more racing.
48
Was there any part of it that was a bit more enjoyable sometimes?
49
It was enjoyable.
50
The second half more enjoyable than the first half.
51
But for me, 23 is still my favourite season.
52
I wonder why.
53
Yeah, well, I mean, it was not boring to me because I was always challenging myself.
54
That's always the thing.
55
People say, yeah, you're in the lead and you check out.
56
But I'm not checking out.
57
I'm still fully focused.
58
And there's a lot that comes into it to try and have these kind of results.
59
When you came on our podcast before, I reckon it probably was 2023.
60
I asked you a question, probably the worst question I've ever asked.
61
I said, do you ever get bored of winning?
62
And obviously you were like, well, no. But do you want that sort of winning feeling back again?
63
Have you got more hunger to win again?
64
Well, you get bored of losing, that's for sure.
65
Yes, that is true.
66
But you lose more in your career than you win, so that's also a fact.
67
Even for you?
68
Statistically, I guess.
69
Yeah, mean you lose more than you win
70
so you have to deal with it
71
but of course naturally yeah we want to we want that's the target
72
and we are there to win you know that you can't win everything but the target is always to win.
73
Some things have changed this year in Formula One a lot
74
of things have changed the new cars the new engines we're
75
here celebrating Ford's return to F1 your uniform seems a bit bluer this year.
76
You won't miss me.
77
Well maybe, no it is brighter, maybe some forward blue in there, that's one thing that's changed.
78
What can you achieve?
79
What are you going into the season looking for exactly?
80
Yeah I have no idea at the moment, I mean we're still so early on where normally I only started training around this time
81
so yeah and I never really like to think about those kind of things too much.
82
I'm well I'm always a bit of a guy that I will see what happens when I sit in the car.
83
I trust people around me.
84
I mean they trust me to do the job in the car.
85
I trust them to build the fastest car possible and engine
86
and that's why I don't really stress about it too much
87
because I cannot control that anyway
88
because yeah like I said you know they don't tell me how to drive the car
89
and I don't tell them how to design a car
90
or an engine but once we go to the track I know
91
that we will give it a hundred percent and try to optimize everything that we have.
92
Do you get quite excited to sit in a in a new car
93
and and sort of not know what it's going to do?
94
First time out always, yeah.
95
But I think in general, on the first time you go out, just again the speed, you know, it's always like, okay, we're back, it's quick.
96
You must not get bored of the speed and the exhilaration.
97
Do you think that'll change with the different cars?
98
Do you think it'll feel any different?
99
Are you excited to find out how different it does feel?
100
Yeah, well for sure it will be quite different to drive, also the looks of the car in general, the tyres even, so there's a lot to get on top of for sure.
101
Is it interesting for you having Ford in the mix?
102
Yeah, for us in general, we're all very excited to get it started and see what we can do, and also see what the competitors are going to be like,
103
and then just go from there.
104
You've got a new teammate.
105
He stood over there behind us as we speak, doing interviews with influencers.
106
What's he like?
107
What are your early interactions with Izek Hadru?
108
Of course, he's been around the Red Bull group for a year now, but what's your relationship with him like?
109
Exactly that, right.
110
I mean, we know each other already now.
111
Of course, he's then my teammate, but I mean, that was already very natural before.
112
And I'm sure that it will continue like that as well.
113
You know, we're all now just looking forward to actually get to drive the car
114
and work together because we have to work together to try and optimize the car performance.
115
Has he asked you for any advice or anything?
116
It was the first time I saw him after the break.
117
Really?
118
Yeah.
119
Yeah, I mean, you like to switch off also a little bit from everyone related stuff.
120
I can imagine.
121
If I was you, I'd be just putting my phone, lock it in a cupboard, not speak to anyone.
122
I need it for other things though.
123
Yeah, child for example.
124
Yeah, also that, you know, you check the camera if she is sleeping well.
125
Oh, do you have the little camera?
126
You've got to have the monitor, right?
127
Yeah.
128
It's what we have for the dogs.
129
It is.
130
Right, Max, we've been told we've got to wrap because you've got a million more interviews to go to.
131
So good luck with that.
132
But thank you so much for joining us and good luck with the season.
133
Thank you very much.
134
See you later.
135
See you later.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will engage in english speaking practice by exploring an interview with Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen. You will enhance your listening skills while practicing the shadowing technique, which involves repeating what you hear in real-time. This interview covers personal topics, the experience of being a parent, and professional reflections, allowing you to practice conversational English in a lively context. Focusing on both vocabulary and pronunciation will help you improve your fluency and confidence in speaking English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- winter break - a short holiday period in winter, often involving family time
- restful - providing or related to rest; relaxing
- under dog - a competitor who is expected to lose but may surprise everyone
- excites me - something that brings enthusiasm and interest
- cheering - expressing enthusiasm and support, often in a loud manner
- driving back in - returning to drive, often referring to practice or enjoyment outside of professional settings
- passion - a strong feeling or enthusiasm for something
Practice Tips
To make the most of this lesson, utilize the shadowspeak method as you watch the interview. Follow these tips to enhance your practice:
- Start Slow: Play the video at a slower speed (if available) to fully grasp the pronunciation and rhythm of Max's speech.
- Pause and Repeat: Use the pause feature after key phrases to repeat them aloud. This helps with retention and builds muscle memory for your vocal patterns.
- Focus on Emphasis: Pay attention to how Max emphasizes certain words and phrases. Mimicking this will help you sound more natural in English.
- Use Subtitles: Consider enabling English subtitles while you listen. This dual approach reinforces both auditory and visual learning, enhancing your understanding.
- Practice Regularly: Incorporate this video into your daily routine of learn english with youtube. Consistent practice will dramatically improve your speaking skills over time.
By practicing these techniques, you will develop a better grasp of conversational English and feel more confident using it in real-life situations.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.