“The scary factor is he is getting higher.” That is how Sebastian Vettel views fellow four-time Components 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who just lately accomplished a outstanding 2025 marketing campaign.
Regardless of his Pink Bull RB21 being inferior to the McLaren MCL39 for many of this season, Verstappen took extra wins and extra pole positions than another driver (eight of every). Most significantly, he recovered from a 104-point deficit to championship chief Oscar Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix to overlook out on the title by simply two factors towards Lando Norris.
Talking on the Past The Grid podcast, which was recorded on the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vettel was laudatory in regards to the Pink Bull driver, describing him as not solely gifted but additionally hardworking, whereas praising his essential composure.
“We all know he is good, however he is nonetheless bettering, he is nonetheless hungry, he is nonetheless prepared to be taught,” the German defined. “I feel he is working very exhausting behind the scenes as nicely, and that is what makes him so sturdy. And naturally he is blessed with a whole lot of expertise on high of that, however even when he is probably the most gifted drivers on the grid, I feel finally what makes him so sturdy… it is at all times a mixture.
“However the important thing ingredient is his head. Within the conditions the place it issues, he retains his head, hardly makes a mistake, delivers when he must, feels the strain – all of us do, I do not assume it is attainable [for anybody not to] really feel the strain – however he is capable of finding an area in his head the place he is capable of put that to his aspect and give attention to what issues.”
Verstappen’s mature mentality is highlighted by the way in which he now handles wheel-to-wheel fight, Vettel reckoned.
“You have a look at Max in his strikes when he was younger or when he was in his first one, two, three, 4 years; his behaviour now’s rather more mature,” the German added. “He nonetheless goes for the not possible gaps and makes them attainable, which is nice in his ability, however he does not go for all of the gaps as a result of he is aware of they are not vital proper now. If he must get a transfer on, an overtake, he is most likely top-of-the-line going via the sector rapidly, but when he is aware of ‘I’ve acquired time and it does not truly matter’, he is not panicking anymore.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Steven Tee / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
Vettel has additionally been impressed with 2025 world champion Norris’ mentality – in a really completely different approach, depicting him as “brave” to be open about his psychological well being, as detrimental as it would typically be.
“It was only a taboo,” Vettel recalled from his time in F1, from 2007 to 2022. “It was similar to, ‘you do not speak about it’, and no one did, and you then had this picture of ‘racing drivers have been machines, have been so exact, and no errors, and it is all racing, and you do not present weaknesses’. This goes throughout sports activities, do not present weaknesses – as a result of , you do not wish to present it to your opponent, blah blah blah.
“I feel it is all crap, I feel we’re all people, all of us have our issues that we’re going through, and it is nice to see Lando being such a job mannequin inside Components 1 but additionally then particularly exterior Components 1. And I feel that is additionally the rationale why he is so fashionable.
“In fact, I additionally see the feedback of others criticising that half, ‘it makes him weak, it is not good’ – however I strongly disagree.”
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