“Sometimes you have to go beyond the limits”

The uncompromising character of Max Verstappen is assumed and this is not new. So, when the new quadruple world champion looks back on the criticism that was addressed to him during the past season, it is not surprising to find this invariable character trait.

Dominant at the start of the year, the Red Bull driver then had to face the return of adversity, until returning to close combat against Lando Norris. Between the two men, although very friends, there was tension on the track on several occasions: the first time at the Austrian Grand Prix and, much more significantly, during the American tour in the fall. , in Austin then in Mexico.

Struggling with a car that was causing him serious balance problems, Max Verstappen adopted a very defensive tactic in defiance of FIA racing guidelines during the Grand Prix contested in the Mexican capital. Attacked by his rival for the title while refusing to give in, he then took him off the track, receiving two ten-second penalties.

These two maneuvers sparked a wave of criticism, including from the McLaren clan, whose boss Zak Brown assured: “Max is such a great driver that I don’t think he needs to drive like that.”

Asked about this comment from the CEO of McLaren Racing, in a long end-of-season interview given to Viaplay in the Netherlands, Max Verstappen defends his behavior. “They don’t have a world champion mentality”he replies. “I will always push myself to get the most out of each race. And if I have to force things, that’s how it is. Sometimes you have to go beyond the limits. I do that.”

Regarding his attitude in Mexico, where he finished sixth, the Dutchman has no regrets: “No, not at all in this race. I took points there. As I said, I will always do everything in my power to achieve the best possible result for the championship. And of course, sometimes you have to go to the limit, or beyond, and not everyone understands that. Not everyone has that mentality.”

It is this mentality which, according to him, made a big difference against McLaren, whose single-seater performance was evident as the Woking team returned to the constructors’ world title. For Max Verstappen, the 2024 season would notably reflect a lack of experience in this area while he believes that Lando Norris could have been crowned and that his team left “100%” take advantage of opportunities.

“They had a very good car this year”he insists. “But I think it’s also clear that they still had a lot to learn, so to speak, in order to really be consistently competitive. Of course, they did a good job in the constructors’ championship, but they could have done better prepare for the drivers’ championship.”

With Laurens Stade