Liam Lawson claims Max Verstappen ‘not too fussed’ about being hated for winning in F1

Max Verstappen's dominant performance has been berated by a majority of the people on the grid.

Liam Lawson claims Max Verstappen ‘not too fussed’ about being hated for winning in F1

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen emerged as one of the best if not the greatest driver ever to compete in Formula 1. The Dutchman quickly rose to success after making his debut at just 17 years old. The 26-year-old won the 2021 World Championship controversially and hasn’t looked back since. However, with such dominance comes decent backlash.

Max Verstappen shattered multiple world records in the process of winning the 2023 drivers’ title. Amidst this, Red Bull’s reserve driver, Liam Lawson reckoned that the three-time world champion wasn’t fussed over the hate he received for his performance. Additionally, the 22-year-old mentioned that it was a ‘pretty cool position’ that the Dutchman was currently in.

I think Max is pretty clear that he’s not too fussed about what people think. I think it would be a pretty cool position to be in to win so much that you’re hated for it.
Liam Lawson told TalkSport.
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Lawson further highlighted that Verstappen was simply ‘not worried’ about what the haters had to say. The Kiwi added that the 26-year-old had a huge fan base despite several people hating on him. As a result, the 22-year-old reiterated that Max Verstappen had nothing to worry about in terms of the untoward hate he received.

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It’s something he’s not worried about, I mean he has a huge fan base anyway, outside of the people that don’t like him so much, so he’s got nothing to worry about.
Liam Lawson added.

Liam Lawson labels Max Verstappen as a ‘mentally strong’ on the grid

Max Verstappen’s performance has been the major reason for the compliments towards his way. However, the Dutchman’s nature is also one of the highlights of the 26-year-old. Liam Lawson recalled his debut race at Zandvoort. According to Lawson, Verstappen visited the debutant and told him to enjoy the race, and congratulated him on the big achievement.

Max was right next to my room and before the race in Zandvoort I was, obviously, pretty stressed about going in and he just came into my room and was pretty open and said to remember to enjoy it and that it's a big achievement.
Liam Lawson noted.
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson (via IMAGO)

Apart from this, Verstappen’s cold but heart-warming nature was appreciated by Lawson. The Kiwi driver further labeled the three-time world champion as a mentally strong if not the strongest driver on the grid. Additionally, the 26-year-old was very pleasant to talk to and approach, as noted by the 22-year-old.

He's a very mentally strong driver, probably one of the strongest, if not the strongest. He's not phased about anything. He was pretty good to talk to when I stepped into a high-pressure situation.
Liam Lawson concluded.

Max Verstappen’s performance and attitude will surely be remembered by generations to come. The 26-year-old could potentially achieve the status of a legend after retiring from the sport. His current priorities will lie in further improving performance during the ongoing 2024 season amidst Red Bull’s struggling pace.

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