The four-time world champion is 25 points behind McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri after seven races but has played down his chances of beating Piastri and his team-mate Lando Norris to the crown.

Verstappen said ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday (01.06.25): "I just try to do my best, have a bit of fun out there.

"I'm more excited if I know that we're going to be super quick. That's the most exciting. I always try to do my best, but this year so far it had some real positives, but of course also some negatives. With some races we are really off the pace, which is not enjoyable.

"That also doesn't mean that I'm enjoying it or loving it. I like it. Up until this point it's not going to be remembered forever."

Red Bull's performance has fluctuated so far this season – with the Dutch driver winning two races but struggling in others – but Verstappen is determined to extract the maximum from every Grand Prix.

The 65-time race winner said: "It's not that I don't believe. I just rock up to the track and I do the best I can every single weekend. I don't need to believe in it. Fully or not. I know that every time that I go out there, I do the best I can.

"If that's with a car that is capable of P5, I will put it P5. If it's capable of winning, I'll win. Honestly, I just approach it very simple, which also doesn't eat up a lot of energy as well, so I have a lot of free time outside of that."