Max Verstappen has admitted that he would need to be “lucky” to achieve a record eight Formula 1 championships but argues that it’s not a feat he’s particularly chasing.
Despite winning on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen was restricted to a handful of victories during his opening years amid Mercedes’ dominance.
However, a minor tweak to the floor regulations for 2021 brought Red Bull into contention at the top and Verstappen logged 10 wins en route to securing his maiden title.
Red Bull has crushed the opposition since F1 returned to ground effect aerodynamics in 2022, with the Dutchman capitalising to register 34 wins across the past 44 races.
The now-three-time World Champion broke several records last season, which included amassing 19 victories – including 10 in a row – 21 podiums and a total of 575 points.
With Red Bull’s current advantage, Verstappen, who retains a contract through 2028, could head into the next regulation cycle in 2026 as a five-time title winner.
However, Verstappen concedes that he is not fixated on becoming the most successful driver in the sport’s history and cites such achievements are dependent on machinery.
When asked whether beating Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton’s milestone of seven F1 titles was a target, Verstappen told The Times: “If it happens, it happens.
“But you need to be lucky to be in a great car for a longer period of time. You’re very dependent on the material you have.
“When I won my first title, I said, everything that comes next is a bonus because, realistically, in F1, I’ve achieved everything that I wanted to achieve.
“Being on the podium, having a pole position, winning a championship. These kinds of things were my dream to achieve in Formula 1. From now on, I’m just trying to stay on top.”
While his recent title triumphs have been virtually uncontested, Verstappen emerged triumphant from a titanic battle with Hamilton in 2021 which went down to the last lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Although Mercedes’ plight has resulted in fewer on-track clashes over recent seasons, the Briton took aim at the level of Verstappen’s team-mates during last year.
That prompted the reigning champion to contend that Hamilton had become “jealous” of his success, with the Mercedes driver’s win drought dating back to December 2021.
However, when he was pressed on the relationship between himself and Hamilton, Verstappen downplayed that the tension extended to outside of a racing environment.
“I don’t need that kind of rivalry,” Verstappen said. “Of course we want to beat each other, but honestly, once we’re in a private setting it’s like just normal guys.”
Red Bull will unveil its 2024 challenger, the RB20, on 15 February – one day after Mercedes launch the team’s revamped W15.
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