Jenson Button highlights Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton 'insecurities'

Jenson Button believes Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton still suffer with insecurities - just like any renowned sportsperson.

Despite 11 F1 drivers' titles and 176 grand prix victories between them, the 2009 champion feels that for two of the greats, such as Verstappen and Hamilton, even they must still doubt themselves at times.

"As drivers, we're flawed," said Button, speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast. "We are insecure, and that will go for any driver.

"When I hear Lewis Hamilton on the radio last year at Ferrari, when he asks a question, and they don't come back to him, he's like, 'Have I done something wrong?'

"It's like, you're a seven-time world champion. The confidence you should have is out of this world. But insecurities creep in."

Asked of Button whether he felt Verstappen had similar insecurities, he replied: "Yes, I still think there's an insecurity there."

The British driver feels such insecurities do, at times, prove motivational.

"You forget what you've achieved, and you just think about the last session," said Button. "You know, 'I'm not good enough. I was two-tenths behind my team-mate'.

"It's crazy, and the pressure you put yourself under is enormous, and that's why you see so many drivers fail in the sport, even though they have the talent. Mentally, they're just in a really dark place.

"And I've heard it from many drivers. We think of it as a weakness, so we don't talk about it. And that's what's amazed me with Lando [Norris], the way he's been outspoken over the last couple of years on mental health. Really, really good, and I think that gives you a lot of strength."

Michael Schumacher had the same trait

Button feels another seven-time champion, Michael Schumacher, was the same, despite his confident public persona.

"There are certain drivers, riders in MotoGP, who I've thought, 'He comes across as a bit arrogant'," he said. "But it's not. They just don't want to let anyone in.

"They know they have insecurities, and they don't want to let people in, which is the biggest issue because then you never get over those insecurities."

But then Button believes it is a trait many high-profile professional athletes suffer from.

"It comes down to you losing more than you win," said Button. "In F1, I raced in 300 grands prix, and I won 15. Fifteen! 15. So I lost 285 races.

"So, Lewis Hamilton, extraordinary what he's achieved, but he's still lost a lot more than he's won, and that is mentally why it's tough in any sport, because you lose more than you win."