Verstappen: 'I hate losing, but I'm not afraid of it'

Max Verstappen almost seems to forget what losing is all about. The Red Bull Racing driver won 13 of the 16 races held in 2023 and is heading for his third world title. Asked if he is afraid of losing, the Dutchman replied firmly: "I hate losing, but I am not afraid of it."

Verstappen, along with teammate Sergio Perez, has access to the fastest car on the F1 grid. The two shared the first four wins of the season fairly between them, but since the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen has been unleashed. There is no limit to the upcoming 2023 F1 champion and only in Singapore, when his RB19 did not cooperate optimally, did he finish outside the podium.

Hatred of losing is motivation for Verstappen

Getting used to winning does not make Verstappen weaken. Verstappen is heading for his third F1 title and seems to find enough motivation from his hatred of losing not to slack off now that he is so far at the top. In Red Bull's Mind Set Win podcast, Verstappen says: "No, I'm not afraid of losing. I do hate it, but that's also part of the game. At the end of the day, you lose more than you win."

That may not apply to Verstappen, notes the interviewer. Verstappen laughs: "I also lost a lot before I started winning in F1. I've been through the stage of not being able to win and now you have to enjoy the moment and enjoy while it lasts." Enjoying his current position in the sport is what Verstappen is doing to the fullest. Pressure that comes with it, he says he does not feel.

Verstappen: "No I don't feel that at the moment. I am enjoying this moment. I know what I need to work on, I have my routine, I work with my engineers, I do my job in the factory and I trust the team around me to do their job to their best standard [...] I do like a laid-back, quite chilled, approach."