Max Verstappen provides health update as true extent of illness laid bare ahead of F1 Italian GP

Max Verstappen has shared a health update after the Red Bull Formula 1 driver battled illness across the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. 

Four-time world champion Verstappen was not feeling completely fit and suffered from flu-like symptoms during a difficult weekend at his home race at Zandvoort. 

Verstappen retired following a massive crash on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix, marking a bitterly disappointing end to his final F1 outing at Zandvoort. 

Having had a full week to rest and recover, Verstappen is in a much better physical condition heading into this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. 

“I felt good in terms of the impact because it was a safer barrier, so that was the first time that I did that. Actually, did its job pretty well, but I was very ill,” the Dutchman said at Monza on Thursday. 

“You appreciate once you’re fully healed, how good it is to feel like that because the whole weekend at Zandvoort was awful.

“Even after Zandvoort for a few days, I was still not good, so it was actually really nice to have that week to recover and feel better again because it’s been a very long time that I felt like that.”

On Red Bull’s chances at Monza, Verstappen stressed: "We need to be realistic, where we are at the moment as a team and how we're performing. Just try to have a good weekend. 

"I know it's already going to be very complex with the energy around here, just need to try and understand that first and then we'll just see from there where we are in the pecking order. Just going off the last few races, we just need to be realistic."

Liam Lawson will continue to deputise as Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate for a second consecutive F1 weekend, with Isack Hadjar still yet to fully recover from the wrist injury he picked up over the summer break. 

Hadjar’s continued absence also gives Yuki Tsunoda another outing for Racing Bulls.