"You must be a killer in a sport if you want to be the best" - MotoGP legend Marc Marquez has words of praise for Max Verstappen

Marc Marquez meets Max Verstappen after practice for the 2019 F1 Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Marc Marquez meets Max Verstappen after practice for the 2019 F1 Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

MotoGP legend Marc Marquez showered praises on Max Verstappen for dominating in F1. The Dutchman won his third consecutive world championship in 2023 by winning 19 out of 22 races. This shows how dominant he was with a rocketship that the team built.

Speaking on an official MotoGP video with Max Verstappen, Marc Marquez was asked to describe the Red Bull driver in three words. The MotoGP champion used the words ambitious, talented, and killer to best describe Verstappen.

"I mean...ambitious. Ambition is something that I like. Then, of course, talented, but then a killer. You must be a killer in a sport if you want to be the best," said Marc Marquez.

Furthermore, when it comes to one quality the Spanish rider liked about Max Verstappen, Marquez picked the F1 driver's ability to manage pressure:

"The way to manage the pressure. I mean, a lot of riders are fast, they’re talented, many drivers are fast in the tests. But then in the race, in the moment, on the day, to manage all the pressure is the most difficult thing and he manages really well."

Marc Marquez and Max Verstappen have met each other on several occasions, particularly during Red Bull events.


Max Verstappen does not want his success in F1 to determine his entire life

Max Verstappen is currently dominating in F1 and winning most of the races and even championships. However, he recently spoke about failing and life outside the world of F1. In conversation with Formule1, the Dutchman said that for him the focus has always been on how he performs over a weekend:

“To be honest, I always felt the same way. I expect myself to do well and get the most out of a race weekend. If only so that I can't blame myself afterwards. It's not that I'm afraid of failure and I can put things aside quite quickly. As long as you keep telling yourself: 'Formula 1 is nice and it's nice when you're successful, but it's not everything'."

The Red Bull driver added:

"That's important that you realize that. Sporting success does not determine my entire life, so I am quite relaxed about it. Since the first world title anyway. I've said it before: everything that comes after is a bonus. That approach works well.”

Verstappen ended the 2023 F1 season with a whopping 575 points.

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