Individuals who criticise my driving do not have a champion’s mentality

Max Verstappen has insisted he’ll preserve crossing the road racing in Method 1 if he has to and prompt those that don’t perceive shouldn’t have the “world champion mentality”.

After a dominant begin, Verstappen and Purple Bull got here below stress from McLaren and Ferrari in 2024 and the Dutchman was challenged for the drivers’ title by Norris all through the second a part of the season.

That translated into on-track skirmishes in Austria after which in Austin and Mexico, with Verstappen handed two 10-second penalties in Mexico Metropolis for shoving Norris off the observe.

Whereas fuelling additional discussions over F1’s racing guidelines, Verstappen acquired a barrage of criticism from McLaren, followers and media.

However reflecting on his 2024 marketing campaign, Verstappen says he has no regrets as a result of he feels it’s a necessity in F1 to cross the road at occasions. In an end-of-season interview with Dutch F1 broadcaster Viaplay, Verstappen was reminded of McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s feedback in Mexico that “Max is such an superior racing driver, I simply do not assume you’ll want to drive like that”.

Responding to Brown’s feedback and the overall backlash he confronted on his driving behaviour, he mentioned: “Sure, however they don’t have the world champion mentality. I’ll at all times go to the restrict to get probably the most out of each race and if I’ve to drive it, then that’s simply the way it goes. Typically you must cross a line. Effectively, I do.”

Requested whether or not he had any regrets over how he edged Norris in direction of the wall in Mexico, he mentioned: “No, by no means in that race. I feel I gained factors there.

“So like I mentioned, I’ll at all times do every thing to get the utmost outcome for a championship. And naturally, typically you must go to the restrict or over the restrict, and never everybody understands that. Not everybody has that mentality.”

Verstappen added the Mexico fallout, in addition to McLaren’s half-hearted use of group orders, had been some examples of McLaren’s relative lack of expertise in preventing for championships, stating Norris may have overwhelmed him to the drivers’ title because the group “completely” missed alternatives.

“They’ve had an excellent automotive this yr. However I feel it is also clear that they nonetheless had lots to study, so to talk, to actually consistently compete,” he mentioned.

“In fact, they did properly for the constructors’ championship, however they may have ready a lot better for the drivers’ championship.”

Extra reporting by Laurens Stade