Max Verstappen’s mentality shift aided by Sergio Perez’s camp after claims of an early title challenge - Reports

F1 journalist Erik van Haren claimed Max Verstappen was spurred on by Sergio Perez's early title challenge in the 2023 season.

The Dutch driver became a three-time world champion after finishing P2 at the end of the Sprint Race on Saturday (October 7) at the 2023 F1 Qatar GP.

The Red Bull driver had a challenge on his hands during the first couple of races of the season when he and his teammate Sergio Perez won the first four races between them.

As per de Telegraaf, Van Haren claimed that Max Verstappen's mentality shifted after the race in Baku and he became even more motivated. He said:

"Verstappen won't say it himself, but the way Pèrez and his surroundings spoke about a possible title fight in the early stages of the season, only motivated him more. Given his confidence, the Dutchman never felt threatened by his teammate, and the on-track performances speak for themselves."

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Sergio Perez sings praises of Max Verstappen after conceding defeat in the title battle

Heading into the Qatar GP weekend, Sergio Perez stated that Max Verstappen has been "on another level" compared to the rest of the grid in 2023 as he has won 13 out of the 16 races so far.

As per F1.com, the Mexican driver said:

"Max has done a tremendous job. No credit should be taken away from the season that he has done. I think he has driven on another level compared to anyone else, and I think that’s something that I have a lot of respect for."

"From my side, I feel like Barcelona, it started to be... it was quite a turning point. I was always chasing the weekend. Sometimes you have weekends where things are coming a lot more naturally and you are two or three steps ahead, and I felt like since Barcelona I was starting to struggle and have some deficits with the car," he added.

Max Verstappen became only the fifth driver in the sport's history to win three consecutive world championships after finishing P2 in the Sprint Race. Although starting from the pole position for the main race on Sunday (October 8), the Red Bull driver would be keen to register yet another race win this season to cap off his championship.

Given the dominance of the Austrian team, the sky is the limit for them and Max Verstappen in the coming years, as they appear to be the team to beat until the new regulations come into effect.