“The scary factor is he is getting higher.” That is how Sebastian Vettel views fellow four-time Method 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who 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 Red Bull driver, describing him as not solely gifted but in addition hardworking, whereas praising his essential composure.
“We all know he is good, however he is nonetheless enhancing, he is nonetheless hungry, he is nonetheless keen to be taught,” the German defined. “I feel he is working very arduous behind the scenes as nicely, and that is what makes him so robust. And naturally he is blessed with a number of expertise on high of that, however even when he is one of the crucial gifted drivers on the grid, I feel in the end 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 strain – all of us do, I do not assume it is doable [for anybody not to] really feel the strain – however he is capable of finding an area in his head the place he is in a position to put that to his aspect and deal with what issues.”
Verstappen’s mature mentality is highlighted by the best way he now handles wheel-to-wheel fight, Vettel reckoned.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Pictures
“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 could be way more mature,” the German added.
“He nonetheless goes for the inconceivable gaps and makes them doable, which is nice in his ability, 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 among the best going via the sphere shortly, but when he is aware of ‘I’ve obtained time and it would not truly matter’, he is not panicking anymore.”
Vettel has additionally been impressed with 2025 world champion Norris’ mentality – in a really completely different manner, depicting him as “brave” to be open about his psychological well being, as adverse as it’d 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 then you definately 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 recognize, 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 Method 1 but in addition then particularly outdoors Method 1. And I feel that is additionally the rationale why he is so fashionable.
“After all, 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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