Championship mindset: Max Verstappen’s advice on never giving up in F1. Max Verstappen reflects on his 2025 F1 season.

From -104 to -2: Max Verstappen’s 2025 challenge

If it weren’t for Max Verstappen, the 2025 World Championship would likely have been a McLaren monopoly from the first race to the last. The Dutch superstar’s brilliance was especially evident in his ability to maximize results even when the Red Bull was not the reference car, turning potentially anonymous weekends into crucial points for the championship. Max Verstappen made the difference in managing difficult races, taking the necessary risks to recover from a -104 deficit just nine weekends from the end, and seizing every opportunity under pressure.

Equally striking was his technical and mental leadership, which helped guide the team throughout the season. Max Verstappen, already phenomenal on track, contributed decisively to development and strategic choices. He never gave up—he simply doesn’t do that by nature—and his attitude was supported by the team, which pulled itself out of the early-season slump, allowing the Dutch driver to close the gap to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen’s words

“I know I will never give up. I know I always try to get the most out of everything,” Max Verstappen told the BBC. “Can I be beaten in a Grand Prix? Of course, anyone can be beaten in a GP, but you can’t beat me over 24 races. You have to have this quality if you want to fight for the championship, and that’s the hardest part.”

“My mentality has always been the same, probably instilled in me as a child. That’s why, at the start of my career, I sometimes felt a bit frustrated because I couldn’t show my full abilities due to various factors, but I always knew they were there,” he added. “Obviously, until 2021, I never had a car capable of fighting for the championship, so it was impossible to prove myself. But it was all experience that prepared me to reach this level.”

As the grid moves into the 2026 regulations, Max Verstappen’s 2025 performance serves as a stark warning to his rivals. While McLaren may have held the technical advantage for much of the year, the “Verstappen factor” remains the most unpredictable variable in Formula 1. His ability to maintain a relentless pace over a record-breaking calendar is what separates a race winner from a perennial champion. For Red Bull, keeping their star man satisfied with a competitive car will be the only priority as they look to reclaim their place at the top of the podium.