Verstappen ticks off victories faster: 'It's not so special anymore'

For Max Verstappen, winning Grands Prix is increasingly becoming a matter of ticking off the box. The Dutchman admits that wins are less special these days than at the start of his F1 career.

In the first phase of his Formula 1 career, Verstappen had to work hard for every victory. Although the two-time world champion won his first race in service for Red Bull Racing, it certainly did not come easy in 2017 (2), 2018 (2), 2019 (3) and 2020 (2). Each victory felt special as a result, but 2023 is a bit different.

Winning less special for Verstappen

With two world titles under his belt and 41 wins on his record, his gaze is shifting more and more towards the world title. "It's not so special anymore. I often think after a race: 'So, that's another one'. It is now more a matter of ticking off and moving on," the 25-year-old Limburger said according to NOS.

Things have also changed dramatically for Verstappen since 2021. Whereas from 2016 to 2020 he had to fight for every victory, since 2021 Verstappen has a car at his disposal to compete for the world title. As a result, victories also come easier. For instance, he won 10 races in 2021 and as many as 15 in 2022. In 2023, Verstappen is on track to break that record number of wins in a single season, with six wins from the first eight races already.

Verstappen's focus is now on an entire season, rather than on winning one race. According to Verstappen, that makes the races themselves less special. ''When you know you only have an occasional chance to win, it's different. Then, of course, winning is special.'' Verstappen's main focus now is to win every race in order to have equalled Ayrton Senna not only in victory by the end of 2023 but also in the number of world titles.