Interview Quotes

Reflecting on the 2023 Season

"Yeah. I mean, not a great first half. Let's say that a lot of ups and downs, but I think our second half has been fun. I mean, we've been consistently on the podium. We've won really cool races. And I think, yeah, just the turnaround that we had as a team, I mean, it's something that I personally also didn't expect."

— Max Verstappen • 01:35:05

"I think not many people expected that, but I'm very happy, of course, with the second half, of what we have achieved there."

— Max Verstappen • 01:36:00

"And that's why also when I crossed the line, I personally wasn't too disappointed because I think in the middle of the season, it felt like the championship was not on at all."

— Max Verstappen • 01:39:20

"You know, so to be back in that fight all the way till the end, to lose it by two points, at the end of the day, it also doesn't matter. If you lose it by one point or 20 or 50, you don't win it."

— Max Verstappen • 01:40:10

"But for the first 14, 15 races, I personally never thought about a championship in my head. So everything that came after was just a bonus. And then, yeah, eventually it turned out to be that close. But yeah, this is the dream way to do it, isn't it?"

— Max Verstappen • 01:43:15

"I mean, people in general take life way too serious. And especially also with your profession. I mean, yeah, it is super important to be successful and, I mean, to do a good job. But at the end of the day, I mean, you do that to what, maybe 40? I mean, that's not even the average, right?"

— Max Verstappen • 01:48:30

"So I need some extraordinary drivers that stay in it a little bit longer. But after that, you still have a lot of years to enjoy or do something else in your life. And then honestly, it doesn't really matter what you have done. Like when I'm going to be 50 years old, 60 years old, do you think I care if I've won four or seven?"

— Max Verstappen • 01:49:45

"So that's why I try to also just look at it a lot more in like a relaxed way. Yeah. Just don't stress about it. Stress is very bad for you. And you're going to die sooner if you have a lot of stress. So I'm going to be 250 years old."

— Max Verstappen • 01:51:00

"I think naturally, of course, with an underdog role, people will start to support you a bit more. But I guess maybe they finally start to realize who I am. Who I really am."

— Max Verstappen • 01:53:30

"Good or bad. I mean, it works for me. It's how I want to be. Yeah. Yeah. Don't try to be a fake person in the paddock or whatever. You know, that that's just not how I am."

— Max Verstappen • 01:56:55

"Because, you know, there's a difference when you're constantly fighting for the championship throughout the year and then lose out by two points. That's different. That's not nice."

— Max Verstappen • 01:42:35

"I would say one that was very important for us was in Monza, where we finally, after so many tough weekends, we had a really positive weekend. And then it just started rolling."

— Max Verstappen • 02:26:10

"Especially when, you know, you're a rookie and it's your first podium, those are very special moments. And I think you should always celebrate that."

— Max Verstappen • 02:30:50

"Yeah, it's becoming more and more serious. I mean, we entered, of course, this year, not as a pro car, but as in the Gold Cup. So, of course, one of the drivers that jumped in came from the sim racing world."

— Max Verstappen • 02:33:30

"So, for me to immediately put him in like the pro car championship was probably a bit much, I would say. But I always said we do compare ourselves with them in terms of lap time. That's the target."

— Max Verstappen • 02:34:10

"And then next year, of course, yeah, we want to be in the pro championship, basically, with changing cars."

— Max Verstappen • 02:35:05

"Well, I think if you're passionate about stuff, then it's also easier to dedicate your time to it, right? If you have to, of course, do stuff that you also don't really enjoy, then it's very mentally draining."

— Max Verstappen • 02:42:00

"No, most of the time it's about what I can change to the GT car in terms of, like, stuff that I want changed or optimised. Yeah. F1, I mean, I have so many people behind me anyway in the team that I trust and they do their job very well."

— Max Verstappen • 02:43:45

"Yeah, I'm still very active. I'm driving a little bit less, like racing."

— Max Verstappen • 02:45:45

"Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, I still, if, like, sometimes I'm competing or whatever, I can wake up in the middle of the night with some ideas and I do need to test it. Like, I cannot wait for it."

— Max Verstappen • 02:47:15

"Yeah, but I also need to go faster. You can sleep when you're dead."

— Max Verstappen • 02:50:40

"No, because I don't think about this. I don't want to know. I'm not interested in it."

— Max Verstappen • 02:52:55

"I would want him to make the same mistakes or go through the same tough times, good times. Because if you know everything in advance, it's really boring."

— Max Verstappen • 02:53:40

"Yeah. 2018, the start. Yeah. The first, what is it, seven, eight races, I think. Just, yeah, making some mistakes myself. And then you get into a negative spiral."

— Max Verstappen • 02:58:30

"And then I had a turnaround in Montreal. And I have to say, I think from that day, that's really where it clicked. And it went. Yeah."

— Max Verstappen • 02:59:15

"I think so too."

— Max Verstappen • 03:01:20

"Don't ask that many stupid questions. Because if you ask me a stupid question, you get a stupid answer."

— Max Verstappen • 03:04:00

"To be honest, I think like my, well, what I think would still give me like goosebumps watching is like the early 2000s. And they were so small as well. Lighter and a bit more like rough."

— Max Verstappen • 03:06:30

"The stiffness of the cars. Like you had to run them, of course, very low and to the ground. And for our backs and everything, it was quite tough."

— Max Verstappen • 03:08:30

"So that is really not nice for your spine. No. No. And your neck. Everything was always like blocked. And we trained for it. And I know it's part of racing, but that, for me, is a little bit too extreme."

— Max Verstappen • 03:09:50

"I don't know. There are not many goals. It's just like, I want to continue, of course, trying to win. Have fun as well with the people that I'm working with. So the goal is basically trying to stay competitive, I guess."

— Max Verstappen • 03:10:45

"Probably the easiest one. No, no, not that one. Probably got a heart attack with some of the, some of the, like, really tough ones."

— Max Verstappen • 03:12:40

"Pretty much any race in '23. Try and win them all. Try and win Singapore as well. What I know now, maybe."

— Max Verstappen • 03:13:45

"We haven't spoken about that."

— Max Verstappen • 03:16:20

"Yeah, but I do, like you said, I mean, to do it with like teammates, it's a very different atmosphere for sure. And that's something that I definitely want to do."

— Max Verstappen • 03:17:45

"Yeah. I mean, it sounded good. I mean, it sounded... Like an engine. It sounded like... Yeah. I mean, yeah, it sounded... I'd hope so."

— Max Verstappen • 03:19:40

"Besides the obvious, spending time with family, which is always super important when you're away for that long. So first Christmas together, then on holiday with some good friends as well. Nice. I'm really looking forward to that, first of all."

— Max Verstappen • 03:21:30

"And then just making sure that whatever I'm doing next year with, you know, the program like we explained with GT3 stuff, that it's all going to work out well and that it's well prepared. That's actually what I'm looking forward to, to make sure that that's in a good state."

— Max Verstappen • 03:22:20

"Thank you very much for sticking with us, even in a very tough season, I would say, especially in the beginning. But at the same time, we're a team that never gives up. And I'm very proud of how we here at the factory and our fans, of course, as well, kept it together."

— Max Verstappen • 03:24:20

"And at the end of the day, we celebrated again some very beautiful moments. So thank you very much for that. See you next year."

— Max Verstappen • 03:25:05