Max Verstappen admits surprise over F1 fan support U-turn

Max Verstappen has admitted he was left surprised by how fans rallied to his support this year as he chased an unlikely fifth F1 title.

Verstappen was largely seen as a non-contender for much of the year as McLaren dominated at the front of the field.

After the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, Verstappen was a mammoth 104 points down on the championship lead with nine races remaining.

He closed the gap over the following races and gained notable support in his hunt for the championship - a much different tone from fans compared to previous years when the 28-year-old was cruising to championship success.

When asked how it felt to have a notable portion of fans rooting for him this year, Verstappen told Talking Bulls: “Surprising. 

“Naturally, of course, with an underdog role, people will start to support you a bit more.

“But I guess maybe they finally start to realise who I am, who I really am.”

Verstappen narrowly missed out on the title by two points, with the crown going to McLaren's Lando Norris.

The Dutchman denied that he has endured a character shift over the last year, insisting he has always attempted to remain true to his own values. 

“I don't try to be a fake person in the paddock or whatever,” he said. “That's just not how I am. 

“In F1, when you have a lot of success, or in general, you're doing well, it's easy to maybe forget about that. 

“That's why it's very important to always have the most important people around you that actually do tell you if you're maybe acting a bit out or weird. 

“And I am very lucky that I have great family, but also really good friends.”