Mentality Verstappen praised: 'Objective is not to play nice'

F1 presenter Tom Clarkson and Damon Hill are in the F1 Nation-podcast addressed the question of what exactly makes Max Verstappen so good. Of course, the two-time world champion's RB19 is the best car in the field, but the 25-year-old Dutchman still manages to impress time and again. According to the two men, it is mainly Verstappen's mentality that is of an exceptional level.

Max very hungry

"Obviously he's bloody quick. This is a given. But I have never met a racing driver who is so hungry for success as Max Verstappen," Clarkson said. Hill endorses those words:"I think that's an important component. The hunger for success, in other words the competitiveness, that desire, the burning desire to win. That mentality is probably the key, similar to Senna, similar to Schumacher, similar to many of the guys who have won in this sport or in many sports."

Hill praised Verstappen's ruthlessness: "Which is also most people find it difficult to relate to, I think in normal life, it's regarded as being selfish or unattractive. But it's a totally appropriate mindset for competing in a sport where the objective is to win. The objective is not to do well, is not to play nice. The objective is to win. That is what he has," said the 1996 world champion. 

Verstappen wants more and more

Where did Max get that from? " I'm sure his mother is also competitive. A very successful career. But Jos raced in Formula One and has made sure that Max as he was growing up, is left in no uncertain terms aware that it is not worth doing just for a bit of fun. You have to want to win, or have to win," the 62-year-old Hill continued.

Clarkson elaborates on that, stating that Verstappen not only wants to win, but actually wants to 'destroy' his closest competitors. He cites Saudi Arabia as an example. The current World Championship leader had to come from P15 but finished second. "And yet he was disappointed. And came out with the line 'I'm not here to finish second', so many other people would have said that's a great weekend. Look at Perez in Melbourne he starts in the pit lane, he comes through to fifth and he was really happy. I can't imagine Max Verstappen being happy with fifth coming from a pit lane start. His mentality is unique."

Verstappen compared to Alonso

"When I look at Max, I don't see a weakness,", Clarkson said. "I think he's strong everywhere. He's quick over one lap, his race craft is really good. The way he looks after his tyres is brilliant. He's able to read a race brilliantly. In fact the more I look at Max the more he reminds me of Fernando Alonso." Clarkson does not know if Verstappen is really the fastest in qualifying at pure speed, but on Sunday he is anyway: "I actually think there is no one better than Max Verstappen now."

To conclude: "He's incredibly impressive, his mentality is very similar to Fernando Alonso. It doesn't surprise me when they each come out praising each other in the media. Which they do quite a lot now. You see a little bit of the other in themselves. Max is that Fernando Alonso of 2005-2006," the F1 presenter concludes his account.