In Abu Dhabi, Max Verstappen fell just two points short of securing his fifth title. The Dutchman himself had not expected to still be in contention for the championship win during the final race of 2025, but an impressive comeback in the second half of the season made it possible. However, that was not the only surprise of the season for Verstappen: ‘People started to realize who I really am.’
Max Verstappen has gained a large fan base due to his impressive performances in Formula 1. However, in the past, the Dutchman was also occasionally the victim of booing from the stands, especially in the years following the title battle with Lewis Hamilton. In 2025, Verstappen faced another title fight, this time with the McLaren drivers. Although Verstappen narrowly lost the title to Lando Norris, the Dutchman himself saw a major advantage, particularly in his impressive comeback after the summer break.
‘People are realizing who I truly am’
In the Talking Bull podcast, the world champion was asked about his feelings towards gaining many new fans due to his comeback. The Dutchman made up more than a hundred points on the championship leader after the Dutch GP. “It was surprising for me,” Max Verstappen candidly shares. “I think people naturally start to support you more when you’re in the role of an underdog, but I think they’re finally starting to realize who I am – who I truly am. I mean, it works for me. That’s how I want to be, I try not to pretend to be someone else in the paddock or anything, that’s just not who I am.”
However, Verstappen doesn’t let his newfound popularity go to his head. “Especially in Formula 1, when you have a lot of success, or in general, when you’re doing well, it’s easy to forget that, but that’s why it’s so important to always have the most important people around you who tell you if you’re maybe acting a bit strange,” the Limburger explains. “I’m of course very lucky to have a wonderful family, but also very good friends.”
