“I’ve already achieved everything”: Verstappen’s pressure-free approach to Abu Dhabi
- Kavi Khandelwal
- 47 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Written by Kavi Khandelwal
Ahead of the final, title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi, Max Verstappen—the four-time World Champion battling back from a massive deficit—offered a strikingly calm and philosophical assessment of the pressure, contrasting sharply with the tension felt by his championship rivals.
When asked how he was dealing with the weight of the occasion compared to his infamously stressful 2021 title fight, Verstappen was completely relaxed:
"I’m very relaxed. Nothing to lose, you know? So, I’m just enjoying being here. But for me, it’s not even about being here. I’ve been enjoying the second half of the season, working with the team, how we’ve been able to turn it around from difficult times and really having a debrief after the race, being very disappointed and frustrated with the performances to just enjoying, smiling. Having these wins again is fantastic."
The Dutch driver framed his entire position not as a fight, but as a bonus after achieving his core goals in Formula One. This mindset, he suggested, frees him from the crushing burden of expectation.
"I mean, trophy looks the same. You know, I have four of those at home, so it’s nice to add a fifth. Yeah. I mean, I know my signature, so it’s the same. But yeah, I mean, of course you always try to win it."
He continued, emphasizing that his career accomplishments allow him to treat the weekend as pure competition.
"At the same time, I’ve already achieved everything that I wanted to achieve in F1, and everything is just a bonus. And I just keep doing it because I love it and I enjoy it. And that’s also how I go into this weekend—have a good time out there, try to maximise the result."
Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull still faces a pace disadvantage against the McLarens, but pointed to the unpredictable nature of recent events—like the chaotic Qatar Grand Prix—as reasons to remain optimistic.
"So, I just take it – everything here is just a bonus, sitting here fighting for the title. So that’s also what makes it very straightforward for me. We will just try to have a good weekend. But then even then, it’s not really in my control, you know?"
"Maximising the result? I don’t even know what that means in terms of where you are in the ranking, you know? Because realistically, I don’t think we are the quickest. But you never know. A lot of things can happen—like it did also in Qatar. So we’ll just see."
