F1
Newly-crowned three-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen is relentless in his pursuit of victory. A new episode of the Mind Set Win podcast uncovers how we can all replicate his approach.
As the world champion for three consecutive years and one of the most successful and dominant sports stars on the planet, Max Verstappen’s mental strength is unwavering.
Week after week, race after race, lap after lap, the Dutchman is “on it” all the time and repeatedly pushing the limits of himself and his car at speeds of more than 200mph.
His recent record of 10 victories in a row might have looked effortless at times en route to sealing his third world title in Qatar, but as the Oracle Red Bull Racing star reveals in a new episode of the Mind Set Win podcast, it’s “not easy to achieve.”
Listen to the podcast above and read on for a recap of how to action the exercise at home...
In his fascinating conversation with host Cédric Dumont, Verstappen further lifted the lid on how he’s able to maintain such consistency and clinical precision. In a highly pressurised sport where every millisecond counts and there’s drama around every corner, you’d be forgiven for thinking his mind is filled with stress and complex thoughts.
I don't put a lot of questions in my head. I go with the flow and this really works for me
But that’s not Verstappen’s way, as the reigning three-time world champion explains, he likes to keep things very simple, go with the flow and not fill his head with lots of questions.
The 25-year-old said: "I enjoy what I'm doing but I also don't really make myself crazy.
“I have my routine, and I also trust the team around me to do their job to their best standards.
“I like a laidback, chilled approach. I could stay more hours at the track, but I don’t think it helps my performance.”
Hear more from Verstappen in the full uncut chat he had with Mind Set Win in the video below:
Not overthinking or overanalysing the challenging situations he faces and trusting the process is a method that’s been cultivated over many years since he was racing go-karts as a junior.
While we may never be able to drive like Verstappen, what we can do is apply his way of thinking to our own daily lives.
Episode takeaway
On this season of Mind Set Win Dumont is joined by York-Peter Klöppel, the Head of Mental Performance at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in Salzburg, Austria. Together, they break down the interview and offer some valuable tips, exercises, and takeaways we all can utilise.
Max is very honest about what he does, and it isn’t a mystery anyone else can’t replicate. He sticks to what he knows, does it well, and it’s successful
Here are five techniques you can action right away to help you trust the process, avoid overthinking and approach situations with a clear mind, something that will give you the best opportunity to achieve a positive outcome.
- Thinking about the end goal and the final outcome can be overwhelming, so try to focus your mind on the present. What can you control at this very moment?
- Familiarise yourself with the acronym WIN – What’s Important Now. Referring back to this in daily challenges can help you refocus.
- Every day, try to pinpoint a task that’s achievable that day and take it step by step until it’s complete.
- Trust in your own ability and focus on techniques that have been successful for you in the past.
- “If you overthink, it will prevent you from taking action. It’s in the action that you discover how far you can go as a human being and start to push your limits,” - Dumont.
Verstappen has dominated the 2023 season and joined an elite list of legendary names after sealing his third consecutive crown.
Any temptation to become complacent or lose focus, though, is not part of his mentality. Verstappen’s openness to growth is a “continuous process” and one he takes very seriously.
“You have to be on it all the time. And that’s not easy to achieve. You need to make mistakes to become a better driver - a better person - and it’s about how you learn from these things and how you implement these improvements.”
Find out more – including simple exercises to do at home – in Mind Set Win.
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