(BBC) – MAX Verstappen is in Las Vegas, talking about the approach that has brought him to the cusp of a fourth world title.
“I know on track if you want to win, if you want to be a champion, you do need to be on the limit,” the Red Bull driver says in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport.
And just like that, in a single sentence, Verstappen sums up his year – his entire approach to Formula 1 in fact.
Verstappen can seal that fourth championship under the lights late on Saturday night on the streets of Sin City – and will do if he finishes ahead of Lando Norris or does not lose more than two points to the McLaren driver.

“Of course the championship is in the back of my mind, naturally,” he says. “But I will always try to get the best result out of it first and then see what’s possible.”
This is the way he has handled the entire championship, throughout which Verstappen and Red Bull’s fortunes have swung widely.

Even before the season started, they were embroiled in drama. A female employee made sexual harassment allegations against team principal Christian Horner, who as a result has been at loggerheads with Verstappen’s father Jos all year. Horner denies the claims and two internal investigations have cleared him. Meanwhile, senior figures have left the team, including design legend Adrian Newey.

On track, Verstappen started the year in dominant fashion, before McLaren emerged as the faster car from the summer onwards while Red Bull’s form declined. Norris was eating away at the Dutchman’s advantage until Verstappen grabbed back the initiative in spectacular style with a stunning victory from 17th on the grid in a sodden Brazil earlier this month.
There has been a controversy, too, over Verstappen’s on-track racing tactics, caused by his defensive driving against Norris in Austin in October.

And yet through it all, Verstappen has been the model of consistency. While McLaren and Norris have made errors, Verstappen’s season has been almost perfect.
“I always demand a lot from myself,” he says. “I always try to get the best possible result out of it. I hate making mistakes. I put that pressure on myself every weekend. If you want to win a championship, you cannot afford bad results.”