Verstappen taught life lesson by all-time great

Max Verstappen has revealed how he was taught a life lesson by all-time sporting great Johan Cruyff just days before the footballing legend passed away. 

Cruyff was a Dutch professional football icon whose legacy lives on through his club Ajax. The club’s stadium is named after the legend. 

Cruyff spent the majority of his career playing for the Dutch outfit, along with Barcelona in Spain. It was in Barcelona that Verstappen met the famous number 14. 

The three-time F1 champion spoke with Cruyff during a winter F1 test in Barcelona in early March 2016 whilst driving for Toro Rosso (now known as RB).

At the time of meeting his fellow Dutchman, Cruyff was already battling cancer. He sadly died just days later.

“He was always an inspiration to me, and I met him in 2016,” Verstappen told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

“He was already ill then and that makes me think more and more today. When someone is already not feeling well and still makes the effort to visit you at the track….That was incredible.”

Cruyff, famously known for his beautiful quotes and one-liners, treated Verstappen to one before his death, something the Red Bull driver remembers fondly to this day.

“He said to me, and I will never forget it, ‘I may be 2-1 down at halftime, but I am going to win this race.’ He was optimistic and thought he would overcome the disease,” continued Verstappen.

“Unfortunately, that was not the case.”

Cruyff sadly passed away on March 24, 2016, aged 68.