Max Verstappen addresses 'incredibly important' mental strength battle

Max Verstappen has addressed the "incredibly important" battle of maintaining strong mental strength, something he concedes "not everyone" can handle.

Since breaking onto the scene in the pinnacle of motorsport in 2015, Verstappen has remained notoriously strong-minded, even in times of difficulty.

It has been a constant advantage for the Dutchman over his rivals, particularly in his pursuit this year of a record-equalling fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ title.

Despite falling two points short of new world champion Lando Norris, Verstappen's relentless chase of both Oscar Piastri and Norris triggered mistakes from McLaren.

Verstappen found himself 104 points adrift of the championship lead after the Dutch GP, a point at which he could have very easily given up and switched focus to next season's new power unit regulations.

However, that did not happen. Instead, the 28-year-old and Red Bull pressed on with developments of the RB21, securing seven wins from the final nine rounds.

The ability to fight back comes naturally to Verstappen, who has very rarely shown moments of mental weakness, the clear exception being the Spanish GP earlier this year, where he drove into the side of George Russell.

Asked about the importance of mental strength, Verstappen told Formule1.nl: "Yes, incredibly important! Not everyone handles pressure equally well; it has to be innate.

"A lot of things can be learned, but some things really have to be ingrained in you, personality-wise, and you can't completely teach those.

"For me, I think it's a combination of innate and learned. From a young age, it was always: Don't whine too much, don't complain, just go for it!"