Verstappen changed his driving style: 'I said so at the time'

Max Verstappen receives many compliments for his mature driving now that he has a car with which he can fight for the world title. However, the Dutchman himself points to earlier statements he made about this.

From his debut at Red Bull Racing in 2016 through to 2020, Verstappen had to make do with a car that was not good enough to compete for the world title. Occasionally an opportunity for victory would come along and then Max would give it everything he had. This then resulted in a lot of criticism on his driving style.

Verstappen said he had to, though, because the chances of victory were not there for the taking. If he was going to compete for the world title, he would drive differently. Many wondered whether such a switch was even possible, but in 2021 and especially in 2022 Verstappen has shown he can drive differently.

''I said that then too and sometimes people looked at me funny. But you drive differently when you are fighting for the championship. Once you are in that position, you have to show that it is really so. I think I have done that. I go into a race with a completely different attitude," Verstappen said to De Telegraaf.

In 2022, Verstappen will be even better than in 2021. Last year Verstappen won six Grands Prix prior to the Dutch GP, in 2022 he has already won nine. His 93-point lead over his closest rival is also much greater than in 2021. A second world title therefore seems almost within reach.