Breaking news
Formula 1
Verstappen: Another year learning right thing for me
Max Verstappen is happy to bide his team learning at Toro Rosso for another campaign, as he feels he is not yet performing at his best.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Jan 7, 2016, 11:48 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Although the Dutchman impressed a great deal during his rookie campaign, he says there remain areas of his driving where he knows he can progress, and elements of Formula 1 he wants to get more knowledge of.
"I think it is good for one more season to learn and understand it even a bit more - to get everything in place," he told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview about if there was impatience to get in to a race-winning car.
"I am on a good way because we scored six times in a row points [at the end of the season prior to Abu Dhabi].
"I think it is very important, because you have a lot of guys who are also very fast, but they are a bit more up and down.
"So I think it is very good to show other teams that you can be very fast and good in overtaking, and be consistent. I think I can be very happy with that."
Personal doubts
Verstappen said that he began his season in F1 with some reservations about whether or not he could impress in the sport, but said they were similar feelings to those he has experienced in different categories throughout his career.
"It is always very difficult, and you get that in every series," he said. "Even when I jumped from go-karting to F3, you always question yourself a bit – like, can you do it?
"But it is always important to believe in yourself, and I am very relaxed person. So I told myself – let's just see what happens. I also did that in go karting.
"When you step up from one category to another, you never know what is going to happen. Or how good you will be doing. So, I always said – we will see. And that is what I did in F1."
Experience coming
Although Verstappen never appeared out of his depth, he says he ended 2015 much improved – simply through having seen out a campaign.
When asked where he felt he made his biggest gains, Verstappen said: "I think just more experience in general.
"You grow up as a driver as well, you understand the car better and you know what to do when you jump in. I think that made the big difference.
"In the beginning I was still learning the tracks, the car, and how to drive the car – because it was all new for me even though you do winter testing. So to go to a race weekend knowing that is a big difference."
Speaking about in which areas he wanted to improve on in 2016, he said: "I think in every aspect just be a little bit better. Try and make what you have now as 98 percent and make it all 100 percent…"
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Analysis: Why have double diffusers become an F1 talking point again?
Next article F1 manufacturers should not fear radical rules overhaul
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Max Verstappen
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
45 min
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
14 h
Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP
More from
Racing Bulls
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
24 min
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
Latest news
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
24 min
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
45 min
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Who slept best last night: Toto Wolff
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
Who slept best last night: Toto Wolff
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe