Verstappen does not enjoy role as underdog: 'Not as fun as in '23'

Max Verstappen has gone from the absolutely dominant driver to the underdog in less than a year. The rapid development of the McLaren and the issues at Red Bull Racing have caused challenging changes for the Dutchman. Speaking to, among others, GPblog, Verstappen addressed the question of whether he enjoys the role of winning underdog, as in Japan.

Verstappen on his underdog position at Red Bull

The driver of Red Bull Racing was firm about that question: “Not really. I mean, I was very happy after qualifying, just because the weekend had been super tough up to that point. I didn't feel comfortable, so there was relief in qualifying.”

Verstappen continued: “And yeah, I was super happy on Sunday, because I think we as a team executed everything very well. Okay, the pit stop wasn't fantastic, but the rest we did really well, also with GP [Lambiase]. But it's not as fun as in 2023 or something.”

At the moment, Verstappen has not been able to fight for victory every weekend. In China, the driver of Red Bull Racing was running in sixth place for a long time, but due to his strategy and an overtaking move on Charles Leclerc, the Dutchman eventually finished fourth. Partly as a result, Verstappen is still second in the championship, with just one point behind Lando Norris. However, the four-time world champion is clear about the window in which his car is currently situated: “It's not good enough at the moment, but we know that.”