Max Verstappen is feeling the pressure and with no win in the last three Grand Prix, the stop valve blew during the recent Hungarian Grand Prix. The world champion was out qualified by both McLaren drivers although Red Bull’s upgrades appeared to mitigate the gap to the pole time to just under 5/100ths of a second.
At there start of the race, Verstappen made an audacious move around the outside of turn one to pass the slow starting Lando Norris. McLaren have since revealed on their website thatNorris had experienced “a glitch” in his start procedure and the car was slow finding second gear during the acceleration phase after lights out.
Norris has made a number of poor starts this season, so the question is whether his software is faulty or whether the McLaren driver is making the same mistake time and again.
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Verstappen was ‘advised’ by his race engineer to hand the place back to Norris given the stewards were investigating the world champion for “leaving the track and gaining an advantage.” This year that notification is the precursor to the stewards handing out a ten second penalty which Max would’ve served at the first round of pit stops.
This was the beginning of a miserable afternoon for Max over team radio. He argued incoherently they should wait for the stewards decision before allowing Norris through, though once the stewards decide theres no opportunity to give the place back.
Max maintained Norris. Had driven him off track and told his engineer: “Then you can tell the FIA that’s how we’re going to race from now onwards,” the Dutchman said over the radio. “Just driving people off the road,” he told his engineer to tell the FIA.
The radio messages escalated as a frustrated Verstappen was unable to find the pace he believed the car should have following the team bringing a round of major upgrades. Expletives then followed as Max believed the team had chosen the wring strategy allowing Hamilton to get ahead of him by stopping first.
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“It’s quite impressive how we managed to get undercut. It completely f—ed my race,” said Max adding later when given a hurry up call, “No mate, don’t give me that s— now. You guys gave me this s— strategy, O.K.? I’m trying to rescue what’s left.”
In the closing laps Verstappen blew his best opportunity to pass Hamilton and next time around he dived up the inside of turn one and Lewis’ front wheel sent the RB20 high into the air. Max was on the radio immediately claiming Hamilton had moved under braking, but he got short shrift from his engineer who said badgering the FIA over the radio was “childish.”
Team boss Christian Horner defended the opinion that Verstappen’s engineer, Labiase was calling Max “childish”: “I think that GP [Lambiase] at that point wasn’t actually referring to Max,” Horner said. “I think he was referring to others on the radio complaining about penalties.
“So, I don’t think GP’s reference at that point was in reference to Max. Others obviously goading for penalties because the stewards are listening to the radio as well.”
Lambiase predicted Verstappen foul moods
Verstappen and GP are known for their robust exchanges during Grand Prix and the pair were recently described by Christian Horner as an “old married couple.” Yet the ferocity of Verstappen’s messages to GP and the clear irritation his engineer displayed meant this fiery spat was like no other we’ve seen before and there will be consequences behind closed doors.
GP was interviewed for the Red Bull podcast last season and he predicted the turn of Verstappen’s mood when he stopped winning races.
“My biggest fear is the moment that we do have increased competition and we’re not winning every race because you see how he’s treating me at the moment and he’s winning every race,” Lambiase said alongside Verstappen. “I’m really not looking forward to it.”
Max dismissed the notion of trouble ahead stating things “would be fine” which is certainly not true following the events of the Hungarian GP.
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Verstappen calls for respect
“Of course, respect is very important. People sometimes don’t really understand what kind of relationship you have. So for example, if we are on the radio and we sound a bit upset or angry, they think we are in a fight but that’s not the case. It’s just we want the best out there,” added Verstappen.
“Of course, sometimes I raise my voice on the radio because [I am] full of adrenaline as well as driving and GP also he wants the best and that’s why sometimes we have quite fiery conversations.
“But for me, that is the way I like to approach our weekend, our racing, because if I would be upset or whatever, or not happy with a certain situation and he’s like ‘copy that’ or like ‘thank you very much for your message’ [then I would think] what is going on?
“We are both in this together and we want to have the best possible result. But of course, respect is very important.”
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And given respect is offered not claimed, it is Max who needs to be more respectful to those on the outside, not his long suffering race engineer.
Verstappen was criticised for his comments after the race and questioned as to whether he owed GP an apology. He replied those who didn’t like his messages should “go home” and “fuck off”.
Sky F1’s Naomi Schiff described Max’s attitude as “disrespectful” stating: “Thinking about what Max said about ‘staying home’, I don’t know if he’s referring to the team members who don’t like that or the fans, but I find that quite a disrespectful message.”
“He’s got to remember that there’s no ‘I’ in team, and while he is their top driver and they always put him forwards, he’s got to remember that there are loads of people working behind him.
“You need to keep the team on your side and if you talk to people like that and say things like that you get them offside.”
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Max Verstappen must be wondering if he’s entered an alternative world of Formula One in recent weeks. The world champion hasn’t won since Barcelona and the McLaren cars now look quicker than the RB20 and at a variety of circuit layouts.
The upcoming Belgium Grand Prix with its regular race weekend format was to be an opportunity for Red Bull to understand better the upgrades it brought to Hungary last time out.
Yet Max heads into the weekend having already used four internal combustion engines (ICE), turbochargers, MGU-Hs and MGU-K units, as well as two control electronics and energy stores, which places him on the brink of requiring extra components over and above the FIA specified allowance for the season… READ MORE
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Respect is earned. Max is a 12 year old in a man’s body. Of he doesn’t get his way he whines, pouts, and screams until people give in. He’s just a brat.
All due to family upbringing. Always being told you are the best in the world they expect the world to love them no matter what they do or how they behave.
As said before. His father is a reported bully. Max thinks that’s the way to be. I’m defending him. His father needs to be band from F1 races, pit etc. then maybe life will settle in Red Bull. Perez will be more comfortable.
While Max won races without stiff competition, he was proclaimed to be the Best driver in F1 and he was all smiles. Now he has stiff competition and the realization has dawned that it wasn’t so much Max that was the best, but the RB Cars were the Best. Time to Bitch,Whine and blame others for when he is on a level footing with other drivers. Welcome to the REAL WORLD, Max😀😀😀
Great how all British media are having a hay day. The above comments also make clear how blindsided and biased British F1 fans are.
Although I fully agree that Max was a bit too harsh, literally every remark made above, is 1 on 1 applicable to Hamilton.
Always had the fastest car, whining over his tires, strategy, whatever. I remember him even wanting to give up a race after a hand full of laps when things looked bad. His engineer had to convince him to go on and he finished in the points. The man that claims to ‘never give up’ and ‘keep fighting’….
On top of that there is this ‘political correct’ and the ‘I am better then thou’ attitude.
Whether you like Max or not, he is honest, a fighter and what you see is what you get. I will always take that over a slimy fake personality.