Max Verstappen's "life won't change" with the world title

Max Verstappen is in contention to win the first championship of his Formula 1 career but the Dutchman doesn't feel like it would be a life-changing achievement if he won.

So far, the young Red Bull driver's approach has been binary in most situations. If his car is capable of winning on any given weekend, then he's gone for the victory. Other times, he's stroked it home in the best finish possible, without taking unnecessary risks.

Verstappen spoke to motorsport.com during a visit to Red Bull Racing's fuel partner ExxonMobil, which runs a campus in nearby Houston. Revealing his thought process as he guns for the biggest prize of his life, he said:

"To be honest, for some it does change your life but for me it doesn't. It is of course my goal and I will always try to be the best I can be, but it's not going to change my life in terms of how I live it or what I'm going to do afterward. I see a lot of happy drivers or people who haven't won a championship. I think whatever you do on track shouldn't influence your personal life."

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Formula 1 is just one part of your life: Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen further stressed how such an approach helps him keep a balanced approach in life and doesn't let his work overwhelm his life on a day-to-day basis.

"At least I would not be a sore, sad person if I would never win a championship. I will have a lot of things I can also do after Formula 1. For me, Formula 1 is one part of your life, but the most important is what is outside of Formula 1. Maybe [some] people don't know how to deal with that."

While these statements may seem uncharacteristic coming from a young driver who's dedicated his whole life to the sport from a very young age, it is this renewed approach that's helped Verstappen put together an almost flawless season in 2021.