Mika Hakkinen shares what impresses him the most about Max Verstappen that will worry Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Max Verstappen is known for being ruthless on track, as he’s shown at the last few races when going up against his main title rivals at McLaren.

The Red Bull driver has shown his skill at recent races where it looked like McLaren had the edge, such as Imola, where Verstappen pulled off a stunning overtake on Oscar Piastri at the start to go on and win the race.

Verstappen also took an unexpected pole and victory at the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this year, while he’s been regularly starting from either the front or second row of the grid.

The Dutchman’s ability to make up ground at the start has been one of the key factors in keeping him in the title hunt with McLaren, now that he is over 10 points behind in the Drivers’ Championship.

Former F1 driver and two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen has shared what he is most impressed about Max Verstappen when speaking in Italian Gazzetta.

Mika Hakkinen says Max Verstappen ‘doesn’t respect’ anyone on track

Hakkinen has raced against some of the best in F1, including Michael Schumacher who he battled for both the 1998 and 1999 championships while at McLaren.

The two-time champion has outlined Verstappen’s sheer speed as a main advantage over his rivals, but there is also another factor that separates him from the rest.

“The sheer speed and his ability to control the car. His talent is just fantastic. And then he’s a very brave pilot, brave enough not to be afraid. This, however, also leads to having another aspect,” said Hakkinen.

“Max doesn’t respect anyone on the track. And I don’t say it at all as a criticism. When he gets out of the car he is another person and has great respect for his opponents.

“When driving, however, it operates differently and that’s probably why many drivers don’t appreciate it, because he behaves like that. With him you have to be smart, play your cards well and not think you can change it.”

Max Verstappen has ‘traumatised’ McLaren drivers with impressive starts

One of the main features of the 2025 F1 season has been Verstappen’s ability to gain positions at the start of a race, particularly when up against McLaren drivers.

Verstappen has overtaken Oscar Piastri twice at both Melbourne and Imola this season, while he was penalised in Saudi Arabia for breaking track limits.

Nico Rosberg believes Verstappen has now “traumatised” the McLaren drivers and believes they will be wary for the rest of the season of having him start behind them.

Verstappen understands that his best chance of taking points away from his title rivals is at the start of races, which is why he must ensure he qualifies in strong positions as Red Bull tries to catch up on pace.