Verstappen: On track you have to be an asshole

Max Verstappen is without doubt one of the most exciting prospects in Formula 1, the teenager’s presence at the pinnacle of the sport is assured for a very long time and he is not afraid to admit that winning requires him to be selfish and an….

Speaking to Sport Bild, Verstappen declared, “You can call me what you want: Mad Max, Max the wimp or whatever. It’s all about me. On track you have to be an asshole. Look at how Michael Schumacher behaved!”

“At the end of the day, a Formula 1 driver must know how to win races and titles. He really should not think how to be a nice guy,” he added.

Love him or not, Verstappen adds value every time he hits the track. In a short space of time he has a legion of loyal fans who trek to every race, their presence evident by the large swathes of orange in the stands.

This is no ordinary driver, but one who stirs up passions among fans and his rivals alike, doing his talking on track… and of late the teenager has had several high profile spats with Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

At the British Grand Prix, last time out, Verstappen made his Red Bull as ‘wide’ as can be, making it impossible for Vettel – who was faster at that point of the race – to pass, which prompted complaints over the radio and hand waving from the four times World Champion.

Verstappen is now used to the way Vettel reacts, “Sebastian moaned again in the heat of our battle, but this is something I don’t care about. I do not expect him to send me a Christmas card, nor will he invite me to his next birthday party. ”

Today the 19 year old is the hottest property in the Formula 1 paddock and inevitably talk of him moving to Ferrari or Mercedes is constant.

Verstappen’s views on the matter are simple, “I know Ferrari has a great history in Formula One. Like Mercedes, by the way. Quite honestly, I want to sit in the best possible car. The color does not matter.”

This season Verstappen is teamed up with Ricciardo at Red Bull, and the Dutchman clearly has big respect for the Australian, “For me, Daniel Ricciardo is a bigger challenge than Vettel. When the two drove in the same team in 2014, Daniel was stronger.”

“Although we have been teammates for more than a year, there was not yet a bad moment. We are driving in a positive way, and that will remain so,” insisted Verstappen.

Big Question: How good is Max?