Max Verstappen once ripped into the idea of a traditional UK Christmas Day dinner, claiming he would prefer meatballs over Turkey. The four-time Formula One world champion’s greatest career rivals have been British - and he risked antagonising fans up and down the country further with his comments on a rather touchy subject.

Verstappen beat Englishman Lando Norris to claim his latest title earlier this month, finishing top of the 2024 driver standings by 63 points. Having joined Red Bull Racing as a junior driver in 2014, the half-Dutch half-Belgian ace has spent plenty of time in the UK at the team’s base in Milton Keynes.

Yet, when asked in 2022 if he was a fan of Christmas dinner, Verstappen appeared unfamiliar with the much-loved feast's golden brown roast potatoes, succulent stuffed turkey, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, and tantalising trimmings smothered in piping hot gravy.

"I'm not a big fan of turkey actually. I love meatballs," Verstappen controversially told Joe two years ago, having just secured his second world title with ease. "Brussel sprouts? I don't mind them now. When I was little I hated them, but it also depends on the preparation."

Verstappen was left baffled when asked about his thoughts on pigs in blankets. After hearing the description of a tiny pork sausage wrapped in bacon, he struck the idea down with brutal force, saying: "I'm happy I'm not celebrating it in England then!"

Despite his Scrooge-like comments, the racing legend still manages to enjoy Christmas during the off-season, leaving his luxury Monte Carlo penthouse to be with his family. They include his former F1 driver father, Jos Verstappen, siblings, and model girlfriend, Kelly Piquet.

"I'm going to go home and try to see the family as quickly as possible," Verstappen said of his plans ahead of Christmas Day. “I will definitely be taking a bit of a break and relaxing as well, because it's been so busy and flat out the whole year, that I really feel like I need a bit of a break from all of it."

Verstappen will enjoy a well-earned break this time around, too, having been pushed by McLaren’s Norris far more than he had been in the previous two seasons. Following some time off from the hectic F1 schedule, he will return to pre-season testing for Red Bull in late February, despite recent speculation over a potential future move to rivals Mercedes.

His current contract with the Austrian outfit expires at the end of 2028, but Verstappen admitted talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff were “very constructive” earlier this year when Wolff publicly courted him for several months.

Verstappen added: “The big teams are always interesting, but on the other hand, I’m also in a very big team. I’ve achieved a lot of success with them. It also just feels like a second family.”