From his debut in Formula 1 to the present day, Max Verstappen has always commanded a massive following, yet he has just as often been a lightning rod for criticism. However, during the most recent season, something fundamental shifted in the public’s perception of the Dutchman. Despite a heroic late-season charge, Verstappen narrowly lost the Drivers’ Championship in the final race by just two points to Lando Norris, who secured his maiden world title. According to the Red Bull driver, the reason for this change in fan sentiment is quite specific.
For years, Max Verstappen’s dominance at the front of the grid often led to a “villain” narrative among neutral fans. But as the 2025 season progressed and McLaren took over the mantle of the fastest car, Verstappen found himself in an unfamiliar position: the hunter rather than the hunted. This shift in the competitive landscape seems to have humanized the four-time champion in the eyes of the global audience.
The support of the fans
Following the high-profile reveal of the new 2026 Red Bull livery in Detroit, Max Verstappen appeared on the The Fast and The Curious podcast (as well as Red Bull’s own Talking Bull). During the conversation, it was pointed out to him that the admiration and support from fans increased significantly over the last season as he fought an uphill battle to chase down Lando Norris for the crown. The Dutchman responded to this observation with his trademark bluntness:
“Honestly, I haven’t changed as a person. You are in a different role because you aren’t winning as many races as you did before. But at the end of the day, for me, what is more important is: ‘Have I changed?’ No. So that’s the only thing I can say about it.”
The underdog effect
The reason for this newfound popularity, according to the 28-year-old, is rooted primarily in the narrative of the championship fight. For the first time in years, Max Verstappen was the one overcoming a massive points deficit—which at one point reached 104 points—to take the title fight to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
“I think when you’re in a sort of underdog role, it probably happens a bit naturally, but it’s nice,” Verstappen admitted. “It’s nice to have people cheering for you instead of boos.” By losing the title by such a slim margin, Max Verstappen appears to have gained a different kind of respect from the F1 community—one based on his tenacity and fighting spirit rather than just the sheer speed of his machinery.
Max Verstappen’s transition from a dominant, often-booed champion to a respected “underdog” marks one of the most interesting psychological shifts in modern Formula 1 history. By coming within two points of Lando Norris in a statistically inferior car, Verstappen proved to his critics that his talent remains the defining factor, regardless of the trophy count. As the 2026 season approaches with its massive technical reset and Red Bull’s first in-house power unit, Max Verstappen enters the new era with a rare commodity: a unified fan base that is finally ready to appreciate the “real” Max, whether he is leading from the front or fighting from behind.
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