Max Verstappen, four-time Formula 1 champion and owner of 71 GP victories, stated that apologizing for his success ‘would be something silly’ and that he feels no remorse for the achievements accumulated throughout his career, after being questioned about the subject in an interview.
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“Sometimes, your car is a bit better or worse, sometimes you are the ‘underdog’, sometimes you dominate almost the entire season, and probably that is something people don’t like. But that is not my problem. I am here to win, and I try to win every race, right? That is always the goal. Why would I feel remorse for success? It would be kind of silly,” the Dutch driver told The Times newspaper.
At 28 years old, Verstappen is behind only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in number of victories and world titles, with only three drivers in F1 history having won more championships than him: Schumacher and Hamilton (seven each) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five). His 2023 season was historic, with 19 victories in 22 races and leading more than 1.000 laps in a single season, an absolute record in the category.
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Beyond F1, Verstappen has been exploring other challenges in motorsport, including GT3 racing and confirmed participation in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May this year. The Dutchman reinforced that he seeks to stay true to himself, balancing career and personal life: “I am not here to make friends. I am just myself, always trying to be the same person on and off the track. I try to spend as much time as possible with family and enjoy other activities that motivate and amuse me,” he added.
Verstappen also stated that, despite the intense Formula 1 routine, he seeks to enjoy other passions, such as following the Rally races of his father, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, his own challenges in GT3 and endurance, as well as the simulator projects he develops, projects he considers ‘incredibly exciting for the future’.
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