What advice would Max Verstappen give to his younger self if he could travel back in time? With eleven seasons in Formula 1 under his belt, the Dutchman is a seasoned expert in the premier class, having experienced both better and more challenging times. However, Verstappen would not give his younger self any advice, instead allowing him to make mistakes: ‘You need challenging times, otherwise you become lazy’.
Max Verstappen, with his eleven seasons in Formula 1, has gained considerable experience. The Dutchman began his adventure in the premier class in 2015, which has so far yielded him four world titles and 71 Grand Prix victories. Therefore, Verstappen would not change anything about his career to date.
In the latest episode of the Talking Bull podcast, the four-time world champion is asked what advice he would give to his younger self, if he had the opportunity. “Nothing,” Verstappen is clear. “I would want him to make the same mistakes, to go through the same difficult times. If you know everything in advance, it’s incredibly boring. And you become lazy. You need challenging times. Because you can tell someone: ‘don’t do this’. But only by making a mistake yourself, you won’t make it again.”
2018
Verstappen then reflects on 2018, the season in which he learned the most. “The first seven or eight races, when I made a number of mistakes and got into a negative spiral. It all didn’t work then, and I was quite dissatisfied with myself. Then came a turnaround in Montreal. From that day everything fell into place.” Verstappen took third place during the 2018 Canadian GP, and then drove to the fourth Grand Prix victory of his career in Austria.
