Max Verstappen jokes ‘excessive’ hashish at Las Vegas GP had him ‘excessive in F1 automotive’

Max Verstappen cracked a joke about feeling “quite high in the car” as he raced around the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit, blaming the pungent aroma of marijuana during Saturday’s qualifying.

After securing fourth place on the grid in Nevada, just ahead of his title rival Lando Norris, the Red Bull ace was among several drivers who raised a stink over the legal weed in the state.

Sergio Perez and Franco Colapinto had already picked up on the distinctive scent during Friday’s practice, with Verstappen confirming to Dutch media De Telegraaf that the issue hadn’t cleared up: “Today you smelled it quite well.

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“I was quite high in the car! ” he quipped. “It’s not ideal, because you can also smell it while driving and it’s quite extreme.” FIA rules strictly prohibit drivers from drug use, and there’s no suggestion that any driver is compromised at the Sin City track.

Although cannabis is legal in Nevada, racegoers are banned from bringing the stuff into the 3.8-mile circuit. “Yes, there was a smell of weed,” admitted the Williams hotshot before his qualifying crash.

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“If they dope [test] the drivers now, I think we’ll all test positive, I swear – when we all test positive, there will be a mess,” reports the Express.

Verstappen’s teammate Perez, who had a less than stellar performance and got knocked out in Q1, grumbled about the pungent aroma that hit the grid. “What is very noticeable around the circuit is the smell of marijuana throughout the night,” the Mexican ace remarked.

“I’m a bit tired of it already – the amount is incredible. It’s something all the drivers will definitely talk about.”