Max Verstappen thinks his surge in support in late 2025 came from fans realising “who I really am”.
Away from the ‘Orange Army’, the four-time world champion has often been a divisive figure among Formula 1 fans.
Mostly, Verstappen’s critics came from his aggressive driving style, the fallout from 2021 and dominance in the years since.
At its worst, the Red Bull driver was occasionally booed by fans on the podium after romping to another win.
Last year, however, McLaren became the team to beat, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri leading the way.
And Max’s late and ultimately failed charge to claim a fifth world championship saw him become the fan favourite.
“I mean, surprising,” he told Red Bull’s Talking Bulls podcast on the change in reaction.
“I think, 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’s no-nonsense approach has also earned him many fans and a few detractors, but the 29-year-old insists he wouldn’t change anything.
“I mean, it works for me. It’s how I want to be, I don’t try to be a fake person in the paddock or whatever, that’s just not how I am,” he added.
