F1 legend Sebastian Vettel reveals what terrifies him about Max Verstappen

vettel, verstappen, red bull, aston martin — Photo: © IMAGO

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Sebastian Vettel reveals what terrifies him about Max Verstappen

Vettel was Red Bull's golden boy before Verstappen

Chris Deeley

Sunday 21 December 2025 21:25

F1 legend Sebastian Vettel has revealed the 'scary' thing about Max Verstappen as a driver.

Verstappen's fellow four-time world champion told the Beyond the Grid podcast late this season: “The scary thing is he's getting better.”

Vettel praised the Dutchman's willingness to continue learning despite his monumental on-track success, applauding his mental acuity and ability to resist pressure in tense situations.

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Of course, for all that Vettel eulogised Verstappen's positive qualities, including calling his behaviour 'much more mature', it's worth mentioning that the nine points lost when he petulantly rammed his Red Bull into the side of George Russell's Mercedes in Spain were the difference between him winning five titles in a row and relinquishing his crown and the number 1 on his car to Lando Norris.

Looked at in that light, it might be for the best that, as Vettel says, he's still improving.

Vettel: Verstappen's strength is his head

“We know he's good," the former Red Bull star said, "but he's still improving, he's still hungry, he's still willing to learn. I think he's working very hard behind the scenes as well, and that's what makes him so strong.

"And of course he's blessed with a lot of talent on top of that, but even if he's one of the most talented drivers on the grid, I think ultimately what makes him so strong… it's always a combination.

“But the key ingredient is his head. In the situations where it matters, he keeps his head, hardly ever makes a mistake, delivers when he needs to, feels the pressure – we all do, I don't think it's possible [for anybody not to] feel the pressure – but he's able to find a space in his head where he's able to put that to his side and focus on what matters.”

He continued: “You look at Max in his moves when he was young or when he was in his first one, two, three, four years; his behaviour now is much more mature.

“He still goes for the impossible gaps and makes them possible, which is great in his skill, but he doesn't go for all the gaps because he knows they're not important right now. If he needs to get a move on, an overtake, he's probably one of the best going through the field quickly, but if he knows ‘I've got time and it doesn't actually matter’, he's not panicking anymore.”

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Sebastian Vettel