Max Verstappen reveals his disappointment with the F1 season: "It was a mistake on my part."

Still mathematically in contention for the F1 title, Max Verstappen has made very few mistakes this year. However, the Dutchman is aware that Barcelona remains the low point of his early season.

Published 15/11/2025 à 14:59

Mathieu Chambenoit

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Max Verstappen reveals his disappointment with the F1 season: "It was a mistake on my part."

© Florent Gooden / DPPI

Rightly praised for his daring maneuvers and often spectacular comebacks, Max Verstappen Nevertheless, he remains a sometimes aggressive driver when he's in trouble. Never giving up the fight, the Dutchman can indeed push the boundaries when it requires him to keep his cool. Aware of this tendency, he didn't hesitate to revisit the events of the Spanish Grand Prix, the first real disappointment of his 2025 season. F1.

Interviewed by the Dutch channel Viaplay, the four-time world champion notably expressed his regret over the turn of events following his widely criticized collision with George Russell, the driver Mercedes. "This movement in itself – and the entire incident – ​​was not good, Max Verstappen admitted it. But it happened because I'm so committed. I could have thought, 'This car isn't working anyway, so I might as well give up,' but I can't accept getting out of the car and knowing I didn't give it my all. Then I get angry with myself; I can't drive at 80%.

Is Verstappen about to evolve his driving style?

While his philosophy has the potential to create admiration around details described as unique in some respects, Max Verstappen also reveals in a roundabout way that this maneuver attempted on George Russell, punctuated by a steering wheel turn leading to a new contact between the two drivers, had all the hallmarks of a deliberate outburst of anger at the time. "That's why I was so angry in Barcelona. First, what happened on the straight at the restart, then in Turn 1, and finally, of course, when I was asked to give up the position. That's when all the warning lights went red."

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Acknowledging his mistake, the pilot Red Bull However, it doesn't stop there. Looking ahead to the coming seasons, and even if he's in contention for the title, the four-time champion clearly wants to redeem himself from this reputation for sometimes lacking class on the track. "It was a mistake on my part, and of course I'm learning from it," he punctuated. These moments won't happen again next year, even if we find ourselves in a similar situation with the car. These are small details we learn from, but overall, in terms of performance, the season has been absolutely good.

Whether or not he wins the title in 2025, Max Verstappen will undoubtedly have been the main protagonist of the season, although some moments of the current campaign leave a somewhat subdued impression despite his undeniable talent. Is this era finally over?

Mathieu Chambenoit

Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.

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5 Comment (s)

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Lucas Paul

16/11/2025 at 10:24 a.m.

It's unfortunately in his genes; he'll NEVER be able to behave properly when he senses victory slipping away :(:(:(:( And what he hasn't understood is that young people are coming along, and they've been trained to behave well... unlike Jos's son...!!!

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vincent moyet

15/11/2025 at 11:40 a.m.

Last year's outbursts (Austria, Hungary, Mexico) cost him points due to penalties or damage to the car. He didn't pay the price thanks to his championship lead. But a truly intelligent driver knows that when the car isn't performing well, you have to swallow your ambition and maximize points while waiting for better days. I said last year that he would learn this the hard way when a title came down to just a few points. We're there now, but it's disappointing that it took him so long to understand. And even that he won four titles without understanding this is a real shame. It means that without an ultra-dominant car, he wouldn't have been able to maximize his results to beat a rival at the last minute. Verstappen is unfortunately just the product of those years where technology and regulations offer a string of titles on a silver platter to drivers (and that also includes Vettel and Hamilton) who are not necessarily the best equipped mentally to save the small points that make the difference.

Yves-Henri RANDIER

15/11/2025 at 07:12 a.m.

Has fatherhood perhaps mellowed the Dutchman a little, leading him to make amends? Has the dark side of Mad Max been buried, or is he realizing that the Barcelona episode could ultimately cost him a fifth consecutive title? I'm starting to wonder...

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DANIEL MEYERS

15/11/2025 at 05:46 a.m.

Having been shaped by his father, he behaves on the track just like his father does in life! He knows he's in the wrong, but it's no use; the conditioning is too deep, he's completely incapable of behaving differently.

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dsonneville176@icloud.com

15/11/2025 at 05:37 a.m.

I'll believe it when I see it! I remain skeptical 🤨 about his ability to truly behave properly

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