Max Verstappen said he is happy to “cross a line” as seen at the Mexico City Grand Prix, arguing that is a “mentality” that some lack.

Verstappen found himself at odds with the likes of FIA steward and former Sky F1 pundit Johnny Herbert, plus 1996 World Champion and ex-Sky F1 pundit Damon Hill in 2024 regarding his racing approach, the Mexico City GP shining particularly bright in that spotlight.

Max Verstappen ‘crossed a line’ gladly in Mexico

Following wheel-to-wheel battles between Verstappen and then title rival Lando Norris in Austin which sparked debate, Verstappen ushering he and Norris off at Turn 12, with Norris penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, the title protagonists were back at it in Mexico.

This time, Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for forcing Norris off the track, and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as they went to battle.

At the time, Hill claimed that fair racing is not something which Verstappen is capable of.

“The problem that Max has is he simply refuses to concede any turf at all, to anyone, in an overtake,” Hill had said on the Sky F1 podcast.

“It is possible to race fairly and that is something I’m not sure that Max is capable of.

“It’s not in his repertoire. It’s not in his philosophy. His philosophy is that ‘you’re not coming past.’”

And Verstappen, speaking with Viaplay, said he will gladly take things “over the limit” if the benefit is there, something which not everyone is wired mentally to do.

“I will always get the maximum out of it, sometimes you have to cross a line, and I’ll do that,” he said.

“I will do everything to get the maximum result out of it for a championship. And of course yes, sometimes you have to be on the limit, over the limit… You have to calculate all that, and not everyone understands that. Not everyone has that mentality.”

That being said, Verstappen was asked whether he felt any sense of regret over his tactics used in Mexico, whether his conscience had told him he should not have gone that far.

“No. That race? Not at all,” he affirmed. “No. I think I actually won points there.”

Verstappen would go on to win the F1 2024 Drivers’ title – extending his streak to four consecutive World Championships – with a final margin of 63 points over Norris.

However, Norris’ McLaren team would deny Red Bull a third Constructors’ crown on the bounce, McLaren winning their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998 as Red Bull dropped to P3.