Max Verstappen told BBC Sport on Thursday at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit who he is, what drives him and why he enters the final weekend of the Formula 1 season both surprised and satisfied, even as he stands on the brink of a fifth world title.
In a 20 minute interview conducted as the sun dropped behind the harbour where he and McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will contest the first three way championship decider in 15 years, Verstappen appeared relaxed and measured. The Red Bull driver, who eight races ago trailed Norris by 70 points and the championship leader by 104, now sits 12 points behind Norris and four ahead of Piastri.
“It is still not in my control, but at least there is a fight,” he said. “Winning would be nice, but if not, I am not going to be crying in a corner. I know that I had a really good season and that is fine.”
Verstappen acknowledged that much of his late season surge is the result of several converging factors, including Red Bull’s return to form and McLaren’s mistakes. “All of it,” he said. “I know that I will never give up. Can I be beaten on the day? For sure. But can you beat me 24 races in a year? No.”
Zak Brown, McLaren’s chief executive, recently described Verstappen as “relentless”, a horror movie figure who refuses to disappear. Verstappen admitted he is probably in his rivals’ heads, although he insists he does not dwell on it. “I just do my thing. I am quite flat in emotions in that sense.”
He credited his consistency to lessons learned in childhood under the guidance of his father Jos. His mentality, he said, has not shifted, only the machinery around him. “Up until 2021, I never had a car that could fight for the championship, so it is impossible to really show that.”
This year has been different. Red Bull’s slump early in the season was deep enough that Verstappen was openly exploring a potential move to Mercedes. It came during a turbulent period in which team principal Christian Horner was dismissed and replaced by Laurent Mekies. “I always had a great relationship with Christian,” he said. “It was a big shock, but sometimes management makes a big change.”
Mekies’ arrival, he said, brought “more questions on the technical side”. It took only weeks after the change for Verstappen to commit to staying with Red Bull for 2025. “For sure, there were talks,” he said. “But it was all very friendly and open. Nothing more than that.”
Despite the turnaround, Verstappen admitted he is surprised to be in title contention heading into Sunday. “Normally, when you are that far down, there is no real clue you can turn it around. But we did, and we are very proud of that.”
He still considers 2023 his most satisfying season, but he recognises the calibre of his current campaign. “I have dragged some results out of it that probably were not realistic,” he said. He puts this down to “looking for details” and broadening his skill set by driving other types of cars outside F1.
The low point was Spain, where a tyre choice under a late safety car led to frustration, contact with George Russell and a penalty. “The reaction that came out of it is not good,” he said. “But I always give it 100 per cent. Of course, when you look back at it, it was not ideal. But it is also moments that you learn from.”
Asked how far he might push things in the finale, he dismissed the idea of gamesmanship. “Quite extreme,” he said when Schumacher style tactics were mentioned. “It is not something that I am thinking about.”
And if he cannot win it, which rival does he prefer to see lift the trophy? “I really do not care,” he said. “I hope it will be a great race weekend and hopefully a memorable race.”
