Max Verstappen revealed that he has never really had an idol because then you can only lose trying to be like your idol.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen revealed that he does not idolise anyone. Verstappen won his first world drivers’ championship title in 2021 and has been compared to the greats of motorsport. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko had compared the 24-year-old with Ayrton Senna.
But Verstappen himself does not idolise anyone. The Dutchman said, “I have respected many athletes because of their achievements.”
According to the reigning world champion, it is not good to be addicted to an idol. “You can only lose because you can only be as good as you can be, but never better. That’s why I’ve always tried to be myself.”
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“For me, psychology is not necessary” – Max Verstappen
In an interview in 2018, Verstappen said that he does not pay any attention to the mental side of things.
The Dutchman revealed that even in his first race in a kart, he was quite confident. On the contrary, his father Jos Verstappen who had raced 107 times in F1 was nervous.
He later went on to take the pole and win the race and confronted his father. Max said, “I saw you were very nervous.” Jos replied, “Of course. It’s your first race.’ But I was just enjoying it and driving as fast as I could.”
Moreover, Max went on to talk about his attitude while racing and his mental strength. Max said, “If you are a bit weak in your head maybe you can train your mind but it will never be your strong point.”
“Many people ask: ‘What do you need mentally to succeed in F1?’ I say: ‘What do you mean mentally?’ I just enjoy it and drive as fast as I can. But so many people think your psychology is such a massive thing. For me, it’s not necessary,” he further added.
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