What’s “scary” about Max Verstappen’s F1 a...

“The scary factor is he is getting higher.” That is how Sebastian Vettel views fellow four-time Formulation 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who lately accomplished a exceptional 2025 marketing campaign.

Regardless of his Crimson Bull RB21 being inferior to the McLaren MCL39 for many of this season, Verstappen took extra wins and extra pole positions than some other 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 in opposition to Lando Norris.

Talking on the Past The Grid podcast, which was recorded on the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vettel was laudatory concerning the Red Bull driver, describing him as not solely proficient but additionally hardworking, whereas praising his essential composure.

“We all know he is good, however he is nonetheless enhancing, he is nonetheless hungry, he is nonetheless prepared to be taught,” the German defined. “I feel he is working very onerous behind the scenes as properly, and that is what makes him so robust. And naturally he is blessed with loads of expertise on prime of that, however even when he is one of the proficient drivers on the grid, I feel finally what makes him so robust… it is at all times a mix.

“However the important thing ingredient is his head. Within the conditions the place it issues, he retains his head, infrequently makes a mistake, delivers when he must, feels the stress – all of us do, I do not suppose it is doable [for anybody not to] really feel the stress – however he is capable of finding an area in his head the place he is capable of put that to his aspect and concentrate on what issues.”

Verstappen’s mature mentality is highlighted by the best way 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 way more mature,” the German added. “He nonetheless goes for the not possible gaps and makes them doable, which is nice in his talent, however he would not go for all of the gaps as a result of he is aware of they don’t seem to be vital proper now. If he must get a transfer on, an overtake, he is most likely probably the greatest going by means of the sphere rapidly, but when he is aware of ‘I’ve obtained time and it would not really matter’, he is not panicking anymore.”

Vettel has additionally been impressed with 2025 world champion Norris’ mentality – in a really totally different approach, depicting him as “brave” to be open about his psychological well being, as adverse as it would generally be.

“It was only a taboo,” Vettel recalled from his time in F1, from 2007 to 2022. “It was identical to, ‘you do not discuss it’, and no one did, and then you definately had this picture of ‘racing drivers had been machines, had 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 recognize, you do not need 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 Formulation 1 but additionally then particularly outdoors Formulation 1. And I feel that is additionally the explanation why he is so widespread.

“After all, I additionally see the feedback of others criticising that half, ‘it makes him weak, it isn’t good’ – however I strongly disagree.”

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– The Motorsport.com Group