Verstappen says ‘mind games’ not needed in 2025

Max Verstappen says he no longer needs to rely on psychological tactics against his rivals, though he admits the growing pressure between himself and McLaren’s title challengers has echoes of his 2021 duel with Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking to De Limburger in Mexico, the Dutchman reflected on how his approach to championship battles has matured. "Back then, that was kind of the game I played. Will I do that again? I don’t need to," he said.

"Back then, I’d never won a world title. Now I have a few, and they (Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris) haven’t. At this stage, you’re naturally more nervous if you haven’t become world champion yet than if you already have those titles."

Verstappen said his recent comeback isn’t about proving critics wrong. "I don’t care what people think," he explained. "But it’s sometimes nice to show that it’s not always just about the car. To win in Formula 1, you need a good car, of course, but it doesn’t always have to be the very best. I have nothing to lose in this title race, I just have to go all in."

The quadruple world champion admitted his only major regret this year remains the Barcelona clash with George Russell, where frustration got the better of him.

"That moment in Barcelona was certainly not good, but there’s nothing I can do about it now," he said. "Maybe it’s also a good thing it happened. You shouldn’t forget why I did it, I was frustrated, because I cared. If I didn’t care, I’d have said: ‘Just pass me and sort it out.’

"That’s why I can’t agree with what Helmut (Marko) said, that I’d lost interest in Formula 1. I’m always motivated. When I’m in the car, I give everything, because if you don’t, someone else will. You can’t drive a Formula 1 car half-heartedly."

Asked about his quieter public tone in recent seasons, Verstappen said it was a natural adjustment. "I’ve been around here for about eleven years now," he said.

"I often don’t feel like explaining everything in detail. First of all, it’s not always everyone’s business. And sometimes it’s better to say very little. There’s so much nonsense written these days, not just in Formula 1. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s real or fake."

As for his changing image, Verstappen insists he hasn’t altered at all. "Between 2021 and now, I haven’t changed," he said.

"People create an image of you and hold onto it. I’m not going to change because people think something of me. If you stay true to yourself, your real nature shows over time. You can think someone’s a jerk, and then you talk to them for an hour and realise they’re fine."

Inside Red Bull, Verstappen says stability has returned since Laurent Mekies replaced Christian Horner mid-season, though he stresses the turnaround isn’t about one person.

"Since he became team principal, we’ve had a chat every Thursday, about everything, not just the car," he explained. "Maybe people are listening to me more now, or communicating with me more. But the whole team has an influence. There’s a different philosophy now in how we find the right setup and the new floor since Monza has helped a lot."

Asked whether such progress could have come without Horner’s exit, Verstappen replied: "You can’t possibly know, but I’m really happy with how things are going, with Laurent, with the team, and with everyone in Austria and Thailand. Everyone’s aligned.

"For such a big brand, that’s important. I go to the track with a more comfortable feeling now, and of course, having a competitive car helps too."

Finally, when asked if McLaren should be nervous about his charge, Verstappen grinned. "It’s fine to put a little pressure on, right?" he said. "If we make it, it’ll be incredible. If not, I’m not going to sit in a corner and cry. The first 14 races were bad, that’s clear, but the fact that we’re still in this fight is already a victory in itself."