Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Max Verstappen gets schooled in the art of drifting by 'Mad' Mike Whiddett
Discover what happened when Formula One’s reigning world champion got a lesson from the king of drifting, Mad Mike Whiddett.
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Max Verstappen is a two-time Formula One World Champion and is on course to make it a hat-trick of title triumphs this year. However, just because he’s excellent going forwards, it doesn’t automatically mean he’s excellent going sideways.
Recently, at a secret location not far from Silverstone, Verstappen got some top-tier coaching courtesy of the legendary 'Mad' Mike Whiddett.
As you can see in the video above, Mad Mike was riding shotgun to dish out advice and, ultimately, to entrust the Flying Dutchman with his pride and joy, his 600hp, 1992 Mazda RX-7, known as MADBUL.
Here’s what happened when the world’s best racing driver met the king of drifting.
The best of Mad Mike
01
A driving lesson like no other
Mike shows Max around the MADBUL
© Greg Coleman/Red Bull Content Pool
The MADBUL in action
© Greg Coleman/Red Bull Content Pool
On the slide
© Greg Coleman/Red Bull Content Pool
As you might expect with someone of his motorsports background, Verstappen already has a grasp of the basic drifting principles, but this is his first-ever outing in a proper drift car.
“Here and there I drift a bit in my F1 car but not like what we’re going to do today, but let’s see if any skills I’ve learned over the years can help me," said the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver. “I’ve driven GT cars and I’ve driven rally cars, but not a drift car yet.”
And MADBUL is not just any drift car – it’s the most-travelled drift car on the planet and this is the first time Mad Mike has trusted anyone other than himself behind the wheel. No pressure, Max.
Mad Mike Whiddett drifts round Max Verstappen
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
First-off, Mad Mike gets Verstappen handling some donuts, then some figure 8s, and finally a Scandi Flick.
The learning curve is steep, but – after an initial false-start with the throttle – Verstappen quickly gets to grips with the cornering techniques to rip around the circuit in a haze of smoking tires.
And skills aren’t the only thing he picks up along the way (condolences to the owners of the traffic cone involved).
02
The Horner corner
Mike puts the finishing touches to Horner corner
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
Mike shows Max the perfect line
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
The Principle objective
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
Spoiler alert: Max gets a big hand for his efforts
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
For the final challenge, Mad Mike sets up a 100-meter arc consisting of ten cardboard cut-outs of Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principle, Christian Horner.
To congratulate Verstappen on a successful day of lessons, the Christians want to give him a big hand – literally.
Each cut-out has a gigantic right hand which Mad Max has to clip with the rear end of the MADBUL. How does it go? Well, you’ll have to watch the video to find out!
“I had a great advisor,” says Verstappen about his teacher. “It’s nice to have a voice next to you which is quite calm, and quite energetic at the same time.
“He was really coaching me through it and telling me what to do. I definitely picked up a bit and now I want to do more!”
The crucial stats
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