Max Verstappen views winning the 2021 F1 World Championship as his "final achievement" in the sport. The Dutchman clinched his debut title in controversial circumstances at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. When a Safety Car was called five laps from the end of the race, Verstappen pitted for a fresh set of Soft tyres whilst rival Lewis Hamilton stayed out on an old set of Hards. With one lap remaining, the Safety Car was called in and a showdown ensued between Verstappen and Hamilton. It was Verstappen who got ahead to claim the race win, and in the process the Red Bull driver took the championship. Verstappen had previously stated that winning the title would not change his life. Now that it has happened, this view is something that the new World Champion stands by. "No, my life will not change now," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I'm of course very happy that I won the championship. It's that final achievement that I wanted in Formula 1. "Everything else that comes now is a bonus."
"I learned about myself"
Reflecting on the title battle that played out during the 2021 season, Verstappen admits that it has required him to put in a high level of focus every weekend. "I think, in general, the quality has been very high," the 24-year-old said. "Set by myself and Lewis, of course. "We have been pushing each other to the limit every single time. There have been quite some tough races, just physically, also, because you were just pushing flat out all the time. "There is no lap to rest. Throughout the whole weekend, [in] qualifying, [in the] race, it was so important to always try and be perfect, which is very hard in Formula 1. "There's always some[thing like a] little tiny lock-up [that] can make a difference between P1 and P2. In the championship battle we had, that was massive, so the level of focus required was very high." When asked whether the fight has taken him to "new heights" as a driver, Verstappen agrees that he has grown. "[I've had] new experiences, and again I learned more about myself, in a positive way luckily," he explained. "But yeah, clearly you keep on improving, that's for sure."
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