Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but reigning Formula 1 World Driver’s Champion Max Verstappen is getting used to the weight.
For a man with 63 Grand Prix wins to his name, a non-podium finish should hardly elicit acclaim, but when Max Verstappen passed the chequered flag in Las Vegas last year, fifth place had never felt so good. The 10 points accrued, measly by Max’s lofty standards, were enough to push him out of the prying reach of his closest challengers and firmly into the record books. With four championships in four years, the Oracle Red Bull Racing star was suddenly in famous company.
His title-clinching finish saw him join long-term rival Sir Lewis Hamilton, Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio and Ferrari icon Sebastian Vettel as four-fold consecutive winners. Only Michael Schumacher has achieved a run of five, giving Max an opportunity to, as he has so many times before, make history. Not that it seems to be on his radar.
When I chat with the reigning champ ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he seems entirely at peace. Unperturbed by notions of greatness and the prospect of record-shattering, Max Verstappen is simply living in the moment. With so many achievements already under his belt, you can hardly blame him for taking a bird’s eye view.
“When I started racing, I just wanted to do the best I could and my goal was Formula 1,” he tells me. “I’m proud of what I have achieved already and that, for me, is enough, in a way.”
It’s a stark departure from the calculated killer we’re used to seeing behind the wheel, but maybe this is the new Max Verstappen. Perhaps with the birth of a new season, a familiar family on board as timekeeper and the arrival of a fresh-faced teammate, the Formula 1 icon is playing things differently. Come Sunday afternoon, under the fading sunlight of a golden Melbourne autumn sky, we will find out.
Four in Hand
Max Verstappen’s era of dominance has been headlined by surging F1 viewership and the arrival of a bold new generation of fans, but this year feels different. The TAG Heuer ambassador’s long-standing Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez is gone, his traditional rival has slipped into Rossa Corsa red and he is now flanked by a spritely Kiwi determined to make an impact.
“There are still a lot of unknowns,” he tells me. “As a driver, you always want to win. You want to fight up front. At the moment, it does look like McLaren is a bit faster, but we just keep going, keep working, keep trying to be better and keep improving. I think that’s the main focus for us at the moment.”
“Every year, it does feel a bit different in a way. Naturally, after last year’s championship, it was quite difficult at the end of the season and I’m now just looking forward to the new season and how we can perform.”
New Beginnings
Expectations will be high—after all, the 2025 edition isn’t just another lap around the sun for Formula 1. The milestone season, 75 years since to birth of the championship, kicks off in a classic fashion. For the first time in three years, Melbourne has returned to its traditional fixture as the season-opener. Similarly, Oracle Red Bull Racing team sponsor and Swiss watchmaking icon TAG Heuer has slipped back into a familiar position, taking the reins as the official timekeeper for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The brand, which has a long-standing connection to motorsport, last held the title back in 2003, the very same year Max’s famous father Jos Verstappen retired from the circuit.
The return has been met with widespread acclaim from the racing community. TAG Heuer’s ties to Formula 1 are undeniable, linked by virtue of passion and name, in the case of the square-shaped Monaco. As Max explains, having TAG Heuer back in the timekeeping position feels entirely fitting.
“When I was a kid I knew already that TAG Heuer was linked to motorsports in general and that they were making great watches. I knew of the brand for a very long time, even before we got to work together,” he explains. “When you watch Formula 1, you see TAG Heuer. It’s always been linked.”
“Naturally when you see the drivers back in the day wearing the watches, specifically with Ayrton [Senna] being so well linked to the brand. It’s very cool and definitely a very nice partnership that we have going with them…it’s just a natural process.’
The feeling is mutual. At last year’s Monaco Grand Prix, TAG Heuer honoured Max’s on-track dominance with a unique piece that married the shared principles of performance and precision. The personalised Monaco Split-Seconds, the Swiss watchmaker’s most complicated watch ever, was littered with hidden nods to the driver’s illustrious career. The dates 2021, 2022, and 2023 were marked on the 9 o’clock sub-dial in reference to his championship victories, while the iconic lion head logo from Max’s helmet was placed at 3 o’clock.
“What makes a good watch for me is that it suits,” he explains. “There are a lot of different styles, there are a lot of different shapes and different technicalities, so I think over the years—and of course, also working together with TAG Heuer— you find your style much. What always stuck with me was just the Monaco watch. I have a few different ones and this one…is my favourite because I like to combine it in a sporty environment but also when I have important events.”
The one-of-one TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is a dazzling piece for a man whose style is otherwise understated, but such is the intriguing prospect of Max Verstappen. When I chat with the superstar driver, I can’t help but feel that this is the real work for him. Where slipping behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle and hurtling 300km/h through tight chicanes comes easily, the introspective conversations that centre around his motivations and personal style are a little more challenging.
When we move our discussion to life off the track, he reveals just as much, explaining that if he could choose, he’d much rather stay anonymous.
“I’m quite simple in terms of clothing—I don’t want to be flashy—Actually, I quite like to be anonymous,” he says. “I enjoy my time also away from racing. When I walk the streets, for example, I don’t want to be the one that is flashy and seen.”
Growing Up in Formula 1
He’s come a long way from the serious 17-year-old who made his debut at the Australian Grand Prix all those years ago. A little more relaxed and noticeably at peace with his place in the world, the 2025 iteration of Max Verstappen is a calm and reposed professional of the highest order. As he explains, however, it hasn’t come easy. His decade-long journey in motorsport’s most important category has been fraught with personal growth, which has, in turn, helped him out on the track.
“I think you just rely a lot more also on experience over time because as a person, you grow a lot privately as well,” Max reveals. “So in general, you are more relaxed. I would say that’s the biggest change in your behaviour. On the racing side of things, with all the experience that you have gained over time, you just know much better what to do and what not to do.”
That experience is likely to come in handy this year as Oracle Red Bull Racing adds a new dynamic to the fold. Highly touted Kiwi young gun Liam Lawson steps into the second drive, replacing Sergio Pérez as Max’s teammate. While many speculate how the shift will affect Red Bull’s internal chemistry, Max isn’t fazed.
“It’s very good. Liam has been part of the junior team already for a long time, so I’ve seen him around a lot,” he tells me. “He’s been in meetings already and the team sees him around race weekends. Besides that, last season he raced already in Formula 1. So yeah, I think it will be very natural. We get on very well and at the end of the day, the most important bit is that we try to improve the car together and work well together as a team. I’m sure we will.”
The Hunt
As our conversation shifts gears towards the future, Max’s demeanour switches slightly. Noticeably uncomfortable with the question of legacy, he admits that it’s always very difficult to pinpoint your place in history.
“At the end of the day, I just wanted to do the best I could and my goal was Formula 1,” He says. “Then the next year when you get to Formula 1, you want to win races, you want to win championships and at one point that will be done because then getting too old and you have to shift to something else.”
When I ask if he’s at that point now, he acknowledges that there is still a lot to race for, but the circumstances have changed. The fire still burns to be on top, but as for if he is chasing something?
“Not in Formula 1 anymore,” he reveals. “My goal is every year to get the best out of myself, get the best out of the team and try to win. That goal is the same. But once you have achieved your dream, which is winning a championship, you can only do it again. There’s not really a next goal. You just want to try and repeat it and try to stay on top.”
“It’s always better to be hunted because it means that you are up top, right? But I don’t mind to be the hunter or hunted—at the end of the day, I like to win. I like to win championships. If that means coming from behind, trying to attack a goal, that’s fine. I just shift myself into any role that needs to be done.”
The Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 kicks off at Albert Park on Thursday, 13 March. The blockbuster event launches the milestone season, marking 75 years since the championship began. It also marks the official Grand Prix return of Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, which reclaims its role as timekeeper. The brand’s presence at the Australian Grand Prix will be a celebration of its legendary connection to Formula 1 through timekeeping and unmistakable racing spirit.
Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
