The tenth (anniversary) year in Formula 1 has come to an end, with Max Verstappen clinching his fourth title. He looks back on it with pride and satisfaction, despite the turbulence. “Everyone kept working hard despite the, let’s say, chaos,” he reflects.
Monza, early September. Max Verstappen fires the clearest warning shot of the year. “At this point, both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles are unrealistic,” he declares after his sixth-place finish, nearly forty seconds behind winner Charles Leclerc. “The way things are going, we’re performing poorly on every circuit. Something needs to change.” According to him, Red Bull’s RB20 has transformed into an ‘uncontrollable beast’ over the course of the year.
Max, you’ve experienced challenging times with the team last season. Did you notice a change in team dynamics?
“Well, what I am proud of is the engineering team. Despite everything that was written and said. Everyone just kept working hard without dwelling too much on everything, on the chaos, so to speak. And that’s not always easy, because everyone reads the internet. Yes, that’s true. And in the end, we have to do it together.”
Did you take that criticism to heart?
“For me, it doesn’t matter much what is said from the outside. It’s more about what happens within the team, not from people who have nothing to do with us. There has been turmoil in the team, one hundred percent. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been written about. But I think we were able to resolve it well among everyone.”
Do you make your voice heard internally? Do you get really angry when things don’t go well?
“I didn’t need to get angry. But I think at some point everyone knew where Max Verstappen stood and what was important for the team.”
