Mar.28 (GMM) Max Verstappen is “extremely narcissistic”.
That is the view of 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, but he doesn’t think that egotistic personality trait is necessarily a problem for the Red Bull driver.
“If you take Verstappen, he is like a ‘narcissist’ like you see it in the dictionary,” Rosberg told his Beyond Victory podcast.
The former Mercedes driver said Verstappen often makes a mistake six or seven times, but remains true to his own conviction rather than changing tack.
“Being extremely narcissistic when you have the talent can be a powerful force, and maybe even the most powerful,” said Rosberg.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agrees that Verstappen can often be “over-confident”, but thinks that will change as the 21-year-old ages and matures.
“I think the older he gets, the more he matures, he is going to get that anger under control,” he said.
“If you remember how you were when you were 19, 20 – I know what I was like – you’ll see another story. You have to consider his age,” Wolff added.