Max Verstappen has said he will leave Formula 1 if he feels he can no longer compete at the very top of the sport. The Red Bull driver made the comments after finishing second at the Brazilian Grand Prix, his 12th podium finish of the campaign, having started the race from 21st on the grid.
His result in Brazil followed victory at the Mexican Grand Prix, where he took advantage of the rivalry between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to finish ahead of both Ferrari drivers and world champion Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen on his mentality
Asked whether he still believes he is F1's best driver, Verstappen replied: "I always think so. Otherwise, I'd quit."
He added: "You do have that feeling. But of course, in 2015, I also knew that I still had a lot to learn. But I certainly had it in my head that I had the potential to be the best."
Earlier this campaign, Verstappen had hinted he might leave F1 after growing tired of the new regulations turning the sport, in his opinion, into a real-life version of Mario Kart.
A stronger season finish
Having struggled in the early stages, Verstappen has since climbed to second in the standings with three victories in the last five races. He congratulated Antonelli on winning his first world title, but the Red Bull driver believes he has what it takes to add to his collection of four world drivers' championships.
His tone is now significantly more positive as his team return to challenging for race victories. "I think I've had a good season. But of course, in Formula 1, you also depend on your car," he said. "Lately, we've had things reasonably well sorted again. And then the victories come."
Praise from the team boss
After his drive in South America, team principal Laurent Mekies praised Verstappen. "As always, I think no sim in the world will predict that you will go from P21 to P2 or that you get 14 places in five laps," he said. "There is no sim able to do that. So, he's beating the sim on a regular basis. Of course, it's frustrating [to start 21st] because the pace seemed good on Friday and also on Saturday morning, and in some respects in Q1 when we let him qualify. But it's part of the game, you know?"
Alongside F1, Verstappen has also been competing in GT3 endurance racing. In September, he won on his debut at the Nordschleife, racing a Ferrari 296 GT3 car alongside British racer Chris Lulham.
