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Transcript

Ep174: Max Verstappen · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts yours. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today we're zooming into the
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  fast-paced, high octane world of Formula One racing to meet a
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  superstar driver who's taking the world by storm, Max
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  Verstappen. Buckle up, because this ride is
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  going to be speedy, exciting, and filled with amazing facts.
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  So who is Max Verstappen? Imagine being so good at
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  something that people all over the world know your name, cheer
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  for you, and even wear shirts with your number on them.
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  That's Max Verstappen in the world of car racing.
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  He's not just any driver, he's one of the fastest, bravest, and
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  most talented racers on the planet.
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  Let's find out how he got there. Max was born in the Netherlands,
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  a small country in Europe famous for windmills, tulips and
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  cheese. But Max didn't grow up dreaming
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  of making cheese or picking tulips.
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  He wanted to go fast. His dad, Jos Verstappen, was
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  also a Formula One driver, so you could say racing was in
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  Max's blood. If you think about it it, it's
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  kind of like having a parent who's a famous soccer player or
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  a musician. Sometimes the passion for what
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  they do passes right along to you.
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  But what exactly is Formula One racing?
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  Great question. Imagine the fastest, sleekest,
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  coolest looking cars you've ever seen.
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  Now imagine watching them zooming around twisty tracks at
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  speeds that would make your hair stand on end, sometimes over 200
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  mph. That's Formula One or F1 for
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  short. It's like the Olympics of car
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  racing, where drivers from all over the world compete to see
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  who is the fastest and the best. Max Verstappen started racing
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  when he was just a kid, about the same age as some of you
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  listening. But instead of racing in regular
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  cars, Max began with go karts. Go karts are small, speedy
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  vehicles that race around tracks, and they're a bit like
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  the bumper cars you find at amusement parks, except much
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  faster and without the bumping. Racing go karts is how many
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  professional drivers get their start.
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  Max was so good at it, he won lots of races and trophies, even
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  against kids who are older than him.
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  By the time Max was 17 years old, he was ready for the big
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  leagues. And guess what?
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  He became the youngest driver ever to start a Formula One
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  race. To put it in perspective, most
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  people are still learning to drive regular cars at that age,
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  but Max was already racing with the best of the best, zooming
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  around the world's most famous race tracks.
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  That's like skipping the beginner levels in a video game
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  and going straight to the hardest level and still winning.
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  Now let's talk about what makes Max so special as a driver.
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  First, he's known for his daring moves on the track.
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  He's not afraid to go for tricky overtake, which means passing
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  another car in a super skillful way.
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  It's like being on the playground and finding a clever
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  way to get ahead. In a game of tag, Max's quick
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  thinking, sharp reflexes, and bravery help him make split
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  second decisions that can mean the difference between winning
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  and losing. Did you know Max has a nickname?
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  Fans call him Mad Max because of his fearless driving style, but
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  don't worry, he's not actually mad.
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  He's just super determined and focused.
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  He always wants to do his best and isn't afraid to take on a
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  challenge. Max drives for a team called Red
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  Bull Racing. In Formula One, drivers don't
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  race alone. They're part of a team, just
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  like in soccer or basketball. The team builds the race car,
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  plans the strategies, and helps the driver every step of the
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  way. The Red Bull Racing team is
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  famous for their fast cars and clever ideas, and Max is their
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  superstar driver. Let's pause for a fun fact.
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  Did you know Formula One cars are so advanced that they can
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  drive upside down if they go fast enough?
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  That's because of the way the air moves over the car, pressing
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  it down onto the track. Of course, they don't actually
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  race upside down. Imagine how dizzy that would
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  make everyone. But it shows just how powerful
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  and special these cars are. Back to Max.
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  He's not just fast, he's also very smart.
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  Racing isn't only about speed, it's about using your brain,
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  too. Drivers have to remember the
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  track, listen to instructions from their team, and make quick
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  choices all at the same time. It's like solving A tricky
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  puzzle while riding a roller coaster.
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  One of Max's most exciting moments came in 2021.
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  After a super close and dramatic season, he became the Formula
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  One World Champion for the very first time.
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  That means he scored more points than any other driver that year.
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  The final race was so intense that fans were on the edge of
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  their seats until the very last lap.
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  Max's victory was celebrated all around the world, especially in
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  his home country, the Netherlands.
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  People wore orange, the national color, waved flags and cheered
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  for their hero. Let's add another did you know
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  moment. Did you know that Max Verstappen
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  speaks several languages? He can speak Dutch, English and
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  even a bit of German and French. That really helps when he's
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  travelling to different countries for races and talking
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  to fans from all over the world. Max is also famous for his
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  focus. When he's in his car, he's
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  completely in the zone. He wears a special helmet and
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  fireproof suit to keep him safe, and he listens to his team
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  through a tiny radio in his ear, even though the races are very
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  loud. Imagine the roar of 100 lions.
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  Max stays calm and concentrates on what he has to do.
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  But Max's life isn't all about racing.
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  Like most people, he has hobbies and things he enjoys doing for
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  fun. He likes playing video games,
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  especially racing games, no surprise there, and spending
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  time with his friends and family.
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  He also loves animals and has a pet dog just like you.
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  He enjoys relaxing and having fun when he's not at work.
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  Let's talk about teamwork for a moment, because in Formula One,
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  the driver isn't the only superstar.
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  The pit crew is a group of mechanics and engineers who help
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  change the car's tires, fix any problems, and make sure
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  everything runs smoothly. Sometimes they change all four
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  tires in less than two seconds. That's faster than you can tie
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  your shoelaces. Max always says how important
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  his team is and how their hard work helps him win races.
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  Another cool fact for you. Did you know that Max's race car
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  has a steering wheel with over 20 buttons and switches?
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  It looks more like a video game controller than a regular
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  steering wheel. He uses those buttons to adjust
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  things like speed brakes and even to talk to his team.
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  It takes a lot of practice to remember what each button does
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  while racing at top speed. Max is also known for being a
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  good role model. He shows that if you work hard,
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  practice a lot, and never give up, you can achieve your dreams
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  no matter how big they are. When things don't go his way, he
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  keeps trying and learns from his mistakes.
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  That's something we can all remember, whether we're racing
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  cars, playing sports, or learning in school.
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  Now, let's recap the highlights from our speedy adventure today.
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  Max Verstappen is a superstar Formula One driver from the
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  Netherlands who started racing go karts as a kid and became the
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  youngest ever Formula One driver at just 17 years old.
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  He's known for his daring moves, quick thinking, and his nickname
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  Mad Max. Max races for the Red Bull
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  Racing team, and in 2021, he became the Formula One World
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  Champion. He speaks several languages,
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  loves video games and animals, and always reminds us how
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  important teamwork and determination are.
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  So the next time you see a race car zooming around a track or
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  hear about Formula One on the news, you'll know all about Max
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  Verstappen and what makes him so amazing.
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  Maybe you'll even feel inspired to chase your own dreams,
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  whatever they may be. That's all for today's episode
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  of Kid Cast Daily. Thanks for joining us on this
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  fast and fun journey. Keep being curious, keep
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  learning, and remember you're never too young to chase your
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  dreams, just like Max Verstappen.
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  See you next time. Grab your breakfast.
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  Feeling fine? Adventures waiting?
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  Don't be late. Today's the day we.
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  Celebrate kid Cast Daily starts your day.