Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen has shrugged off criticism for his radio outbursts during the Hungarian Grand Prix, asserting that he will say “what he wants.” Verstappen is set to face a grid penalty this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, but he remains unfazed by the controversy surrounding his previous race.
Radio Frustration in Budapest
Max Verstappen, the current championship leader, expressed his frustration on the radio last Sunday during the Hungarian Grand Prix. He had a run-in with Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race, which resulted in him finishing in fifth place. His candid communication with his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, drew criticism for its tone and language. However, Verstappen defended his actions, stating, “People that don’t like my language, don’t listen in or turn the volume down. I’m very driven to succeed. I’ve proven that already.”
He continued, “I always want to optimize stuff. People can argue that you might not be so vocal on the radio, but that’s their opinion. My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time to maybe also try and force that the second bits would have been a bit different. That’s how it goes.”
Verstappen emphasized the importance of open communication within his team: “We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that’s been working for us very well, so I don’t expect that to change.” When asked about the differences between his communication style and that of other drivers, Verstappen responded, “That’s our approach. It’s important that you can be critical. In this world we live in now, I think a lot of people can’t take criticism very well like it used to be, and I don’t want to end up like that.”
Verstappen and Lambiase: A Strong Partnership
Since joining Red Bull in 2016, Verstappen has developed a straightforward relationship with Lambiase. The three-time world champion is quick to acknowledge his team’s successes and isn’t shy about expressing dissatisfaction, as seen in Hungary. Verstappen highlighted Formula 1’s unique transparency, allowing fans to hear every radio communication, unlike other sports where such access is limited.
“In other sports, people say things but they don’t have a mic attached to their mouth,” he explained. “But I don’t care. I say what I want. That’s our sport as well. You are communicating with the pit wall. In other sports, maybe you swear about stuff you didn’t like or a teammate didn’t pass the ball, and you call them whatever, but there is no mic. That’s just our sport, I guess.”
Sim Racing and Criticism
Verstappen also faced criticism for participating in the iRacing Spa 24 Hours until 3 am on the Sunday morning before the Hungarian Grand Prix. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that Verstappen agreed not to compete in sim races on the night before a race. However, the 26-year-old clarified that there are no more sim events planned for the rest of the year.
“I said you don’t need to worry because there are no more races coming up. It’s not that I have a ban or whatever. I don’t tell them what they do in their private time or during weekends, and that’s the same to me,” Verstappen stated.
He added, “I raced until 3 am; it’s not something new. For me, it’s something that’s very important in my life, but there are no other sim races coming up anyway. When you lose the race, you will always blame, ‘Oh, you were staying up until 3 am,’ or ‘You were 1kg overweight.’ There are always things to make up or argue about.”
Verstappen highlighted his experience and success in F1, stating, “I’ve won three World Championships. I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do. I’m always very hard on myself about what is allowed and isn’t allowed. With all the experience that I have in Formula 1, I think I know quite well what’s possible.”
Grid Penalty and Strategy for the Belgian Grand Prix
For the third consecutive year, Verstappen will face a grid penalty at Spa-Francorchamps due to exceeding the limit for power unit elements. His car will be fitted with a fifth engine, resulting in a 10-grid place penalty, meaning he will start no higher than 11th for Sunday’s race.
This situation presents an opportunity for Lando Norris to close his 76-point gap to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. Verstappen remarked, “If you look at our last few races where we haven’t particularly been the fastest, I wouldn’t say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning.”
However, Verstappen remains optimistic about the race, stating, “A race can always be turned upside down with moments, so you have to be open-minded, try to make the best of it, and that’s all we will try to do. We also don’t know how competitive we will be. There’s new tarmac, so we need to see how the tyres respond to that as well.”
With the weather forecast predicting rain on Friday and Saturday, Verstappen emphasized the need to adapt: “There’s a lot of unknowns with the weather too. Quite a bit of rain is expected tomorrow and Saturday, so we need to follow the weather and our progression this weekend to see how competitive we are.”
F1’s Belgian GP Schedule
Friday, July 26
- 8:50 am: F3 Practice
- 10 am: F2 Practice
- 12 pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts at 12:30 pm)
- 2 pm: F3 Qualifying
- 2:55 pm: F2 Qualifying
- 3:45 pm: Belgian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4 pm)
- 5:15 pm: The F1 Show
Saturday, July 27
- 8:45 am: F3 Sprint
- 11:15 am: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11:30 am)
- 1:10 pm: F2 Sprint
- 2:15 pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
- 3 pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
- 5 pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday, July 28
- 7:25 am: F3 Feature Race
- 8:55 am: F2 Feature Race
- 10:40 am: Porsche Supercup
- 12:30 pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up*
- 2 pm: The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
- 4 pm: Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
- 5 pm: Ted’s Notebook
Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Credit: Sky Sports
