Verstappen needs "luck" to attain Hamilton "bonus" success

F1 world champion Max Verstappen has insisted any further success during his career will be "just a bonus" to him but that "luck" would be required to match the success of Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen clinched his maiden title last season after a year-long battle with Hamilton although the Red Bull was made to wait until the last lap of the season to seal his crown.

Last year was the first in the turbo-hybrid era that Mercedes had failed to complete a championship double, with Hamilton claiming the drivers' title in six of the seven campaigns prior to 2021.

Verstappen has repeatedly stated that success is not the be-all and end-all to him and that it would not change his life, but after ending Hamilton's four-year winning streak, the Dutchman aimed a sly dig at his rival.

Asked in an interview for CarNext where his ambition takes him after sealing the championship last year, Verstappen replied: "Everything that comes now is just a bonus and I am just going to enjoy it.

"You need a bit of luck to fight for seven or eight [titles]. You need a very dominant team as well to do that so you don't always have that luck or you are not in that era. Sometimes it doesn't happen.

"For me, I always wanted to win one and you will see where you go from there. Everything that comes now is a bonus but that doesn't mean that if I lose a race... I will still be upset, but maybe a few minutes after I will say 'it's ok'."

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