"He’s not overwhelmed by individuals": Mark Webber on Max Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton to F1 2021 title

Max Verstappen's ability to stay unfazed in the face of competition has been highlighted by former F1 driver Mark Webber.

Webber began his F1 career with Minardi in 2002 before going on to drive for Jaguar and Williams. He then joined Red Bull Racing for seven seasons and was part of their all-conquering team between 2010 and 2014.

Now an analyst, Webber has surmised that Max Verstappen's willingness to not back down from a fight helped him maintain the edge over Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 title race.

Speaking to Channel 4, Mark Webber was all praise for Max Verstappen's attitude throughout the intense 2021 F1 season. He said:

“He’s not overwhelmed by individuals, he doesn’t play people on their reputations, he doesn’t drive on their reputations."

The Australian then went on to state what makes Max Verstappen such a compelling racer on the F1 grid, saying:

“He just sees it as, ‘This is my turf, I’m a racing driver and I’m going to make my presence felt,’ which he does extraordinarily well."

Max Verstappen has always maintained an aggressive approach in his racing, especially in his earlier years. While he has tempered his impulses over time and began racing with increasing maturity, the Dutchman often has his elbows out, all the same.

Verstappen arrived at Red Bull as a young star, up against an already-established Daniel Ricciardo, and didn't budge. He also had little regard for the likes of former world champions Sebastian Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen in seasons past.

In 2021's title battle against seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen showed that a driver's reputation doesn't mean much to him when the lights go out.

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Max Verstappen doesn't feel he needs to improve on title-winning season

In beating Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 World Drivers' Championship, Max Verstappen did what many thought was impossible. But the Dutchman has said he is not under pressure to improve on what was his best F1 season yet.

Speaking to former F1 driver David Coulthard in an exclusive interview for CarNext.com, Max Verstappen said:

“I don’t need to improve on this. For me, it doesn't need to be like this every single year. You cannot last a long time in Formula 1 like that, but I'm happy of course how it played out. It was an amazing season I think, a lot of unpredictable things happened.”

The Dutchman overtook Briton Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win his maiden world title, and Red Bull's first championship since Sebastian Vettel's triumph in 2014.