Max Verstappen may be on course to complete the most dominant season F1 has ever seen, but the Dutchman seems to have no interest in resting on his laurels. Piloting Red Bull's RB19, Verstappen has won ten of 12 Grands Prix so far in 2023, finishing second in the other two, and has also emerged victorious in all three Sprint events. However, it was not always so, and during his first few years with Red Bull, Verstappen had to be content with scoring occasional victories when circumstances allowed, as Mercedes established themselves as F1's leading outfit. Asked by Sky F1 whether his current dominance was giving him cause to learn about himself as a driver, Verstappen replied: "It's not so much about learning about myself, it's just always wanting more. And I'm trying to look at every single situation where you could have done better. That's how I've been brought up as well, always wanting more." "Whenever people say it's great or amazing, there are always things that can be done better. I know that, because I've been on the other side of it, where you're trying to hunt for victories and you don't show up because you just don't have the package or whatever."
"Winning keeps the fire going"
Verstappen seems certain to win his third consecutive Drivers' Championship this year, and will doubtless be the favourite heading into 2024. However, the Dutchman added that his current level of dominance would not last forever, and he was determined to enjoy the moment and maximise his current advantage. "I'm definitely enjoying the moment but at the same time, I know that at one point this will stop, so we need to enjoy it, keep learning, keep trying to improve and try to implement it again for the next race," said Verstappen. The 25-year-old also dismissed suggestions that his current pre-eminence would allow for any complacency to creep in, adding that constantly winning races is keeping him more motivated than ever. "[Winning] keeps the fire going. If I have to rock up and I have no chance of winning, the fire starts to go away. This year, it's looking great, but next year is a completely different year," said Verstappen.
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