"If Max was lower on the grid, his response time was slower"

In Formula 1 they fight for thousandths of tenths, right at the start. Because the cars are so difficult to overtake, minimal differences at the start are magnified in the course of the race. According to his personal trainer, there was room for improvement at Max Verstappen during his first years at Red Bull Racing.

You can't deny Verstappen that he's motivated. In addition to his talent, his drive has definitely contributed to his success. Still, the Limburger occasionally drops a stitch, even if they are very small. His former performance coach at Red Bull, Jake Aliker, tells in The Athletic Evolution podcast that the start is one of the things he and his pupil have been working on in recent years.

"There was a clear pattern that as soon as Max was lower than third or fourth on the grid, his reaction time was slower. This meant that when he was in a good grid position he could wind himself up better and get into the zone. If something happened in qualifying or if he got a grid penalty, he didn't feel the need and thought 'I'll make it up to him in the race'."

It is a shortcoming that few people will have noticed outside the car and it shows what details modern Formula 1 drivers are working on. By the way, the really bad starts with today's cars are often not the result of a sleeping driver. Although the regulations have imposed restrictions in recent years, drivers are still assisted at the start by computer-controlled procedures and systems.