Successful the 2025 System 1 title “doesn’t actually matter” to Max Verstappen, forward of a three-way title decider in Abu Dhabi.
The Purple Bull driver took his seventh grand prix victory of the season in Qatar due to an impeccable drive and a decisive technique name. That success meant he diminished his deficit to the championship lead from 104 factors three months in the past to 12 factors forward of the ultimate spherical.
If Verstappen had been to beat Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to the title, he would match Juan Manuel Fangio’s world championship tally and can be solely the second driver to realize 5 consecutive titles after Michael Schumacher.
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The 70-time grand prix winner has had his fair proportion of success through the years, and is due to this fact not overly fussed as as to if he provides to it subsequent Sunday.
Requested about his frame of mind in comparison with his solely earlier title showdown in 2021, Verstappen replied: “I’m much more relaxed now. I imply, I do know that I’m 12 factors down. I’m going in there with simply constructive vitality.
“I attempt every little thing I can. However on the similar time, if I don’t win it, I nonetheless know that I had a tremendous season. So, it doesn’t actually matter.
“It takes numerous the stress off. I’m simply on the market having a great time like I had at present. I additionally began at present with ‘we’ll see the way it goes’.
“I do know that after I sit within the automobile, I all the time attempt to maximise every little thing I can. And that’s what I’ll attempt to do in Abu Dhabi, however on the similar time, I additionally know that we have to depend on in all probability some exterior elements to have a go at it. However a race like at present reveals that if you assume it’ll be boring and easy – it’s not. So, I’m hoping Abu Dhabi goes to be related.”
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro / LAT Photos by way of Getty Photos
For the primary time, Verstappen has led his title problem with a Purple Bull RB21 that clearly hasn’t been essentially the most aggressive automobile total.
Regardless of a “actually robust first half of the season”, the Dutchman rated his marketing campaign as “very robust”.
“However that is additionally one thing that I demand of myself after mainly 11 years in System 1,” he insisted. “And, you recognize, yearly, I believe you turn into a bit extra all-around.
“Even within the championship years, there are all the time issues that you simply look again at and you are like, ‘I may have discovered a bit extra’, or ‘I may have achieved a bit extra there’. And this will go from the way you arrange the automobile, what you probably did your self when it comes to execution in a race, or the best way that you simply work along with the staff.
“To nonetheless be on this battle, I believe we could be actually pleased with it as a result of in the course of the season, sooner or later, it was nearly – not such as you lose motivation, however you don’t actually see a method ahead of truly successful once more on this season. It is nearly like it’s important to hope that 2026 can be higher.
“However we positively made some actually good steps with the automobile, and in some weekends, for certain, we had been in a really aggressive state, I might say, the place we may win races. However on the similar time, we’ve additionally received races the place possibly we shouldn’t have, like at present, by making the precise name as a staff. After which, in fact, it’s nonetheless as much as me to execute it in the easiest way potential. However that’s, on the finish of the day, additionally a correct staff effort.”
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