Red Bull’s Max Verstappen collected his Formula One world championship trophy at a gala on Thursday and is looking forward to battling seven-time title winner Lewis Hamilton again into the season next.
His rival Mercedes, beaten this year in the final lap of the final race, did not attend the event at the Louvre museum in Paris.
“That’s my life goal achieved, so it looks pretty good,” Verstappen said after being greeted on stage as champion.
“Everything that comes next is just a bonus. Of course I’ll keep pushing, I’ll be in F1 for a few more years but it’s been an extremely difficult season,” added the 24-year-old.
“It was an unbelievable battle with Lewis, one of the greatest drivers ever in Formula 1. I think we really pushed each other to the limit, sometimes beyond the limit… I think in the end we really respect each other.
“I can’t wait for next year to come back and be sure we’ll try again.”
Speaking to the press, Verstappen realized the suffering of rival Mercedes.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who is also absent, pointed out some uncertainty about his disillusionment the driver’s future after last Sunday’s finale in Abu Dhabi.
“I don’t feel sorry but of course I can understand that it can be very painful,” Verstappen said.
“But at the end of the day so is the race. You have to keep fighting to the end and you know that in a race anything is possible.
“He’s also won championships like that. So I think he can understand it too,” added the 24-year-old, who overtook Hamilton at Yas Marina when the sudden change in score occurred. Safe car procedures gave him a chance after it seemed he didn’t.
Hamilton won his first title with McLaren in 2008 with a move into the final corner that dashed the hopes of Ferrari Brazil driver Felipe Massa.
Asked how bad it would be if Hamilton didn’t return for a rematch next season, Verstappen doubted it would.
“I can understand that the first few days after a race like that, you’re not happy but you should also understand this is a race,” he said. “I think he should just look back at what he has achieved.
“That will give him a lot of comfort and should also be motivation to keep going because he’s still trying to challenge for that eighth title and he can certainly do it. there again next year.
“So I don’t see any reason why to give up or stop now.”
