Formula 1 star Max Verstappen: “I actually had nothing to lose”

When Max Verstappen travelled to Interlagos last year, the Red Bull Racing star knew he still had a chance of winning the Drivers’ World Championship title. This year, however, the championship was already decided in Mexico. There, Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion of all time.

Was the pressure weighing on Verstappen’s shoulders any less? The Dutchman was asked this question following his impressive comeback on a rain-soaked track. And Verstappen, who was the challenger in 2025, explained: “It actually felt very similar to last year, because back then I really had nothing to lose either.”

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“I just gave it my all and tried to close the gap,” recalled the 29-year-old. “And this time I wasn’t even in the running for the title. I thought to myself: ‘Well, I’ll have to start from the back of the grid again.’ So it was basically the same situation again – I didn’t really have anything to lose.”

“Of course, you don’t go into a race without giving it any thought and just drive like a madman,” Verstappen clarified. “But yes, I had nothing to lose, so I just tried to have a good race weekend and score as many points as possible,” added the 74-time Grand Prix winner.

Lando Norris: The pressure is always there

Norris also made it clear: “It doesn’t matter; to be honest, the pressure doesn’t change. Every time I put my helmet on, there’s a certain amount of pressure. Because I have to perform well – the team expects that of me, and I also want to put in a good performance for myself. There might be more pressure, depending on the external circumstances. But every time I go out on track, there’s pressure to perform well and give it my all. To be honest, the World Championship situation doesn’t change a thing once I’m in the car. It felt exactly the same as last year; especially in these conditions, you always feel a great deal of pressure.”

Topic of the week

World Champion Kimi Antonelli: record-breaker, heart-breaker, the Tifosi’s dream

With his third-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest of the 36 Formula 1 world champions to date. The 20-year-old Italian is on a record-breaking run. The Tifosi are dreaming of Antonelli in a Ferrari.

Mathias Brunner

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