Last Updated on June 17 2024, 10:23 am

Max Verstappen is the dominant force in Formula One at the moment. Having won 50 of the last 75 races the Dutch driver is at the peak of his powers, yet Max has been suffering a huge increase in online abuse recently, something fellow Red Bull driver Liam Lawson has resounded to.

The F1 world champion’s partner, Kelly Piquet (daughter of three times champion Nelson Piquet) posted online last week: “A note from me and a gentle reminder to all.

“The online world can be a wonderful place for various reasons, but a very scary one when wrong information and lies are thrown around.

“I am unsure of the appropriate approach to address hate stemming from falsehoods. I have considered composing a response and letting it stand,” she said.

 

 

 

Verstappen posts online

Max himself now has felt it necessary to respond to the viciousness he has suffered.

“For over 3 year [sic] I’ve been navigating a very strange and upsetting wave of accusations, rumours, fabricated situations, fake testimonials, photoshopped screenshots… you name it. All the while staying silent and not playing into these ridiculous claims.

“Accusations made in the past months especially have taken on another level of defamation. Those who know me know that I would never put myself in such positions, say certain things or act in such a way.

“I am far from perfect, but I do take pride in my values, morals and manner. Let that be clear.

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Call to be “better humans”

“As a human being, the comments and hate affect me and the people around me deeply. I hope this serves as a reminder for people to verify online content before making threats.

“I hope those of you who have contributed to this take a moment to reflect on the real-life consequences of spreading lies and engaging in hate.

“Remember, as James Clear says, ‘Every action we take is a vote for who we want to be’. Let’s choose to be better humans to ourselves and others.”

Verstappen also responded to his girlfriends post stating: “This has to stop. These false accusations by certain individuals on Instagram and TikTok are insane and ridiculous at the same time.

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Lawson backs Verstappen

“Hate has no place in this world. We know what’s true within our family and we are very happy together.

“I love you.”

Fellow Red Bull driver, Liam Lawson who competed in five Grand Prix last year replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo now comments on how Verstappen has handled the abuse.

“I think he manages it very, very well,” says the New Zealander.

https://thejudge13.com/2024/06/16/hamiltons-mind-games-calculated-message-to-russell/

 

 

 

Thick skinned world champ

“I think Max is pretty clear that he’s not too fussed about what people think. I think it would be a pretty cool position to be in to win so much that you’re hated for it.

“I think it’s something that he’s not worried about and he has a huge support fan base anyway, outside of the people that maybe don’t like him so much.

“He’s got nothing to worry about.”

Lawson described how Verstappen had made efforts to make him feel at ease when debuting for Alpha Tauri at last years Dutch grand Prix in Zandvoort.

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“It was really when I stepped in the car last year, he was there,” Lawson explained.

“The way the driver rooms work within Red Bull is that they’re all in the same area in the energy station, so Max was right next to my room.

“Before the race in Zandvoort, I was pretty stressed about going in and he just came into my room and was pretty open and said to remember to enjoy it, that it’s a big achievement.

“It’s more that sort of stuff, not so much like driving-related like: ‘Here’s how you go faster.’ It was always more mental stuff.

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Jos war of words with Horner

“He’s a very mentally strong driver, probably one of the strongest if not the strongest.”

Max has not been helped this year by the fact that his father has been waging a war of words with Christian Horner. The former F1 driver claimed the Red Bull boss should stand down before he “tears the team apart.”

When it was rumoured that Dr. Helmut Marko was about to be benched while an internal Red Bull investigation continued to find the source of the leaked documents from the enquiry earlier this year, Max went out on a limb.

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Verstappen hints at leaving Red Bull

He suggested there were in fact “crazy circumstances” [implying Marko’s departure from the team] which could see him leave his Red Bull family before the end of this 2028 contract. This set the paddock lounges on fire with Toto Wolff going public that he would like Verstappen to be racing for Mercedes.

Much of the who-ha around the investigation into the Red Bull boss’s alleged “inappropriate behaviour” has faded from the headlines. Yet this will resurface when the female accuser’s appeal against the decision to clear Horner has been completed.

She has even then threatened to go public at a UK employment tribunal should her claims not be recognised, so the Red Bull internal treaty of peace is lasting for now, though there are bumpy times ahead in the road.

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