Verstappen: "If everyone was the same it would be pretty boring"

For Max Verstappen, the battle for the world title in the 2022 Formula 1 season could not have been a greater contrast to that of 2021. He also had to deal with two completely different rivals, but the Dutchman identifies that very difference as a beautiful feature of the sport.

In 2021, Verstappen had a battle with Lewis Hamilton right up to the last race lap of the season, a battle in which tensions between Red Bull Racing and Mercedes were quite high. The following year, Charles Leclerc was his main opponent, but the atmosphere was completely different from the year before.

Verstappen: 'That's the beauty of the sport'

"Everyone is different in the way that they battle and race, but that’s the beautiful thing about the sport, because if everybody was the same then it would be pretty boring," Verstappen said at the press conference ahead of the FIA Prize Giving ceremony.

He continued: "Yes, you have a lot of good drivers but if they all act exactly the same it’s not really exciting to watch. So that’s why I think we all have to appreciate the enormous amount of talent we have in the world and especially of course also in Formula 1."