Max Verstappen questioned: “Could you work at Mercedes?”

The Red Bull F1 driver is on course for his third consecutive championship, and is building his own era of domination much like Lewis Hamilton’s and Mercedes’ before him.

He was asked by De Telegraaf: “Red Bull and you, that fits. Could you actually work in a more 'corporate' environment like at Mercedes?”

Verstappen answered: “It is indeed a very different environment. 

“It's always important to be yourself and keep telling it like it is. 

“Then it doesn't matter to me where that is. 

“If a team really wants me in such a situation, they will also go for you and I think you can also slightly adjust certain things. 

“Then you come together, so to speak. 

“At the moment, of course, this is not the case at all. 

“In the past I could never have imagined that I would achieve this success. 

“I dreamed of reaching Formula 1 and maybe one day driving for a top team. 

“This is what I've always worked for. If people now start shouting that it's boring, so be it. 

“I also know the other side of the coin. I don't think it's boring at all."

Verstappen was asked if he “ever needed a kick up the ass” as motivation during this period of dominance, with Red Bull winning every grand prix in 2023 so far.

"No, I don't think so,” he said. “We are also in a very good and nice rhythm as a team this season. 

“Such a fast car only makes it easier to motivate myself every weekend. In fact, it always has been. In karting I also won a lot, but it was always very close together. 

“Then in the run-up to a race I really couldn't think: we're going to pick one up again this weekend. A small mistake was crucial. 

“At that time, I sometimes needed a kick in the ass, though. Then, for example, I was not fully awake during a training session. But over the years I've learned how to do it better."