Max Verstappen: 'I hate losing'

Max Verstappen's behavior on the track in close combat is not unanimous, and the four-time world champion was able to measure it again in 2024 when he faced Lando Norris in the race on several occasions. Some times sanctioned, notably in Mexico, he nevertheless accepts this extremism which can be blamed on him. The Red Bull driver assures him, at no time does he act without being aware of the consequences.

“There have been hard races, questionable actions and heats, but I know what I'm doing, I have complete control over what I do”he says in an interview published on the official Formula 1 website. “Sometimes of course with an idea in mind. I have complete control over what I do on the track. Sometimes it's necessary. I will do everything I can to win.”

“I hate losing. I can recognize that someone else did a better job, but that doesn't make it nice to lose. That's the deciding factor, we have to do better. Even when we had so successful in 2023, we wanted to be even more successful. This is something we really learned a lot from in 2024.

A speech echoing that of recent weeks, when the person concerned also assumed the fact of “exceed the limits” if he deemed it necessary.

If I think about F1 every day, it's burnout.

Crowned four times in a row, Max Verstappen expects a complicated 2025 season with increasingly tough competition, putting pressure on his team to do better with the future RB21. However, he can rely on what makes him strong, including unshakeable self-confidence and precious consistency.

“I don’t feel like I have any weaknesses, and I’ll never admit it anyway!”he says with confidence. “But I'm also very open-minded because I know that I can always be better, and I know that it's very hard. I know that on a weekend, others can put in incredible performances, but he it’s about knowing how to maintain them throughout the year.”

“It depends on a lot of things. I don't want to go into too much detail because I would give too much information. A driver has to be at the top of his game every time. You have to find what works for you because every pilot is different in its approach, but you have to understand what works.”

Understanding what works also means finding a personal balance that doesn't center everything around Formula 1.

“What works for me is that when I come home I don't think about F1 unless I go to the factory”Max Verstappen insisted. “Of course, it's always there in the back of my mind, but it's very important to be able to disconnect. If I think about F1 every day, it's burnout. It's impossible. For me, It doesn’t work.”