Max Verstappen has insisted that his critics are ‘jealous’ of his success as he prepares to chase a fifth successive Drivers’ Championship title. The reigning champion will renew his rivalry with Lando Norris at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the first event of the 2025 season.
Norris has been widely tipped as the favourite to clinch the end-of-season honours, with McLaren boasting the quickest car on the grid. Verstappen, however, will be desperate to upset the odds and maintain his title-winning streak. He will start from third place in Melbourne, having struggled to match the pace of his McLaren rivals in qualifying.
Verstappen’s aggressive style of driving often attracts criticism from fans and pundits alike, leading to a less-than-favourable reputation in some quarters. He was loudly booed at last month’s F1 75 launch event in London and later threatened to boycott future versions of the event.
Quizzed on why he believes some people do not appreciate his achievements, he told The Guardian: “They’re just jealous. Jealous of success. My dream was to get to F1 and be successful. I’ve achieved that and people that can’t appreciate that. They’re jealous.
“That’s fine for them. But it’s not correct, because jealousy doesn’t bring you anywhere in life. I don’t do it for the people. I’m not there to please people that don’t appreciate me.”
Verstappen has repeatedly stated that he will never change his driving style, no matter how much criticism is aimed in his direction.
“I don’t tell you or someone else how they should live their lives or what they should do in life,” he added. “Everyone should just focus on themselves. I think my behaviour is good. If someone else disagrees, that’s their problem. It’s not my problem, is it?”
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