Why do I feel that this thread will go wrong…
Well done Max.
Well, here goes... I think both the Dutch and those outside of the Netherlands overestimate how popular Max is with 'the Dutch population'. Yes, there are about 7 million people watching his exploits now, but it is underestimated how polarised the Netherlands have always been about sport in general and, I assume, about Max Verstappen as well. I think there are millions now over here who are grinding their teeth because of this special honour. Like when Max was announced Sportman of the Year in the Netherlands last year. There was quite some bitching and moaning about that. For example, De Volkskrant (my former and very woke employer), the most influential liberal/left newspaper of the Netherlands published a big article stating that Verstappen did not deserve that title.
Basically, or perhaps rudely interpreted: the Netherlands is divided in half. The lower and middle-income don't read newspapers, rarely read books, prefer on-demand viewing with Netflix instead of watching tv and watch a lot of reality-programs and a lot of sport... the other half read newspapers, books, still watch 'live' television, especially those broadcasted by traditional Dutch broadcasting organisations, they watch the news and political talkshows, listen to podcasts and if they watch sports it are the 'accepted sports' like hockey, skating and women soccer (who deserve just as much money as the men, of course). People like that deem F1 below them. And Max...well...
Because of my former job and current job I meet a lot of the 'left leaning' kind of Dutch folk: writers, journalists, film-directors, or people working with the government and NGO's. If they discover I watch F1 they always ask, with a kind of smirk: 'So... you are a Max Verstappen-fan, then?' If you want the hear the intonation in your inner ear, the question has the tone of: 'So you admit watching porn, do you?' I kind of dreaded the first return of the Zandvoort GP, because if anything had gone seriously wrong (fights in the stands, traffic indigestions because of the GP, a necessary bailout from the government or something), the festive atmosphere around the Dutch GP could have flipped very quickly.
By the way: I think Max fully deserves his 'lintje'... I think his father deserves one also. I really admire how Jos (not my favourite person at all), has turned around his own, rather messy life by raising not only an excellent racing driver (to put it mildly) but also a very decent human being, IMHO. I've never met Max, but I've heard from quite a number of people who have worked with him on filming days and corporate events. Max is super with fans, very friendly and very direct and honest with journalists. His entourage, the people that hang around him, well, I could tell stories... but I am not going for really spoiling the mood.
Arise, Sir Max!
(No Dhilon, Max is not 'of Orange' now, because that would mean he has become a member of the Royal Family. He has become 'a member' of the Orange honorary 'band', or something like that.
Edited by Nemo1965, 01 September 2022 - 17:44.