Max Verstappen‘s journey to becoming a three-time world champion wasn’t always smooth sailing. Son of former racing driver Jos Verstappen, he faced a lot of struggles before the start of his dominant period. Despite his raw talent, Max often found himself outmatched by the dominant Mercedes team.

The underpowered Red Bull car limited his ability to challenge for victories against Lewis Hamilton at that time. Max Verstappen showed flashes of brilliance early in his F1 career but needed a good car to dominate the sport. Things were different in his debut season in 2018 where he ended up fourth in the championship.

The Dutchman’s fearless approach has earned him a reputation as one of the most exciting drivers in F1. That said, he has admitted to having many ‘low points’ before he began challenging for the F1 titles. I think there were more low points before I could fight for the championship.

We often think it’s possible, but then it turns out that it’s not. In 2018, for example, I had a bit of a difficult start and it didn’t really click. But then it’s about how you drag yourself through that period, that you revise yourself and come back stronger.

Max Verstappen said, as reported by Formula1Despite the struggles, Verstappen always believed in himself and his abilities. Instead of giving up, he focused on improving, learning from his mistakes, and coming back stronger. Slowly but surely, he began to understand the sport and his car better, especially by 2020.

By believing in myself and not worrying too much about the possible outcome of certain things. For me it was more like, I know what I can do. I just have to pull myself together and stay calm.

It comes to you naturally. Max Verstappen addedRELATED“He still has what it takes! ” Ex-F1 driver backs Lewis Hamilton to be flying at Ferrari in 2025Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen’s Brazilian GP win was a good response to criticsMax Verstappen was heavily criticized for his driving approach in Austin and Mexico.

He went head-to-head with title rival Lando Norris in order to defend his position and made some aggressive moves that could’ve resulted in a crash. Max Verstappen winning the 2024 Brazilian GP (via Motorsport Week)Critics argued that his driving was dangerous, disrespectful, and against the spirit of fair competition. However, both Red Bull and Verstappen denied changing their approach.

After winning the Brazilian GP by a big margin, team principal Christian Horner stated that it was a strong response from Verstappen. His performance was a reply to all the critics who had suggested that Verstappen should be “put in jail” for his actions towards Norris. There has been a lot of comments that have been made and opinions that have been voiced against Max and the way he drives, and I think the best way to answer those critics was to produce the drive that he did.

Christian Horner said (via PlanetF1. com)RELATEDMercedes F1 book reveals ‘shy at heart’ Lewis Hamilton has a close circle of friendsThe stellar victory during the wet race at Interlagos boosted Verstappen’s chances of securing a fourth consecutive F1 title. With three races and a sprint remaining, he looks to be in a strong position to do so.