Verstappen: 'On the track you have to be an assh*le!'

When it comes to his behaviour on the race track, Max Verstappen takes no prisoners, believing the end justifies the means.

Admired for his speed and incredible ability, Verstappen has taken F1 by storm since he graduated to Red Bull Racing last season, winning his maiden Grand Prix victory in his first race with the Milton Keynes outfit.

But it hasn't always been clear sailing as far as some of his colleagues have been concerned, some of which have protested the young charger's on-track antics, with Sebastian Vettel his most vocal opponent.

But Verstappen makes no excuses, and rather takes a leaf out of the Michael Schumacher book of racing.

"They can call me what they want, 'Mad Max' or whatever," the teenager told Germany's Sport Bild.

"I say that on the track you have to be an assh*le. Look at Michael Schumacher! At the end of the day, a F1 driver needs to know how to win races and titles, not how to be a nice guy."

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Verstappen admits it's not about making friends, and that certainly applies to Vettel, his nemesis.

"I do not expect him to send me a Christmas card or invite me to his birthday," says the Dutchman who says there's a bigger rival to deal with, and one closer to home.

"Daniel (Ricciardo) is a bigger challenge for me," Max insisted.

"When the two of them drove for the same team in 2014, Daniel was stronger."

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