Critics slam 'immature' Verstappen after Mexico
Max Verstappen is taking a barrage of criticism in the wake of the Mexican GP.
First, after securing pole on Saturday, the 22-year-old audaciously admitted to not slowing down for Valtteri Bottas' qualifying crash.
"That he said it was one thing, but I think it was more the way he said it," Dutch F1 GP boss Jan Lammers told the Dutch broadcaster NOS.
"Max seemed to say 'I liked it'. I think it was that tone that did not impress. It is asking for problems."
Then came the race, in which Verstappen made contact with several drivers but aggressively carved his way back through the field to finish sixth.
For that, F1 fans voted him 'driver of the day'.
But the German publication Kicker was not impressed, saying Mexico was a reversion to Verstappen's earlier time "as a hothead".
"Instead of taking a third consecutive win in Mexico, he is sixth and the debate about his brutal driving style is reopened," the publication added.
France's L'Equipe agrees, commenting: "If people thought that Verstappen had become wiser, he demonstrated in Mexico that it is not the case."
La Gazzetta dello Sport says Verstappen often sits "at the intersection of courage and recklessness".
"One the one hand it creates many fans for him, but he also finds many critics who find him immature and arrogant," the Italian newspaper added.
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve told Sky Italia: "Verstappen's behaviour was unworthy of a Formula 1 driver.
"He just drove a really bad weekend and was very arrogant for the cameras. I really cannot understand how people chose him to be driver of the day," he added.
Another former driver, Vitaly Petrov, added: "Again and again, he shows that he is still a boy who cannot restrain his emotions."
And former Red Bull driver and Verstappen's fellow Dutchman Robert Doornbos told Ziggo Sport: "In Spa, Japan and now in Mexico, he had collisions.
"That's why he is missing so many points. You may have race incidents, but it is unacceptable that it is happening as often as it is at the moment."
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
if Verstappen wants to enjoy his drive, he has to grow up, get out of the 'BUMPER CARS' and get into the 'DODGEMS'
Yep, from top to bottom VER was a complete turkey in Mexico, yet the "fans" voted hin driver of the day. Why?...it is not complicated. The head corruptiphile in the US claimed he could shoot someone on 5th Ave. and his base would remain faithful. Sorry about the poli reference, but it applies. In the end, we have to face that it is an "us", not a "them" deal. Let's get on to COTA and see if Ferrari can handle the esses well enough to use their strait-line speed.
Swap him out for Kvyat. Put him through the same experience as he had.
Not a bad idea, Norm. A temporary demotion might get his attention. RB won't do it because they are afraid of losing him in 2021 and of offending his huge (though misguided) fan base.
This only tell us that Horner and Marko are not doing their job of colling down VER.
Extremely disappointed in Max's latest performance, I thought he had turned the corner. He can drive with the best of them, but his adolescence is showing.
Very true.Jan. I really thought that he is maturing with every race; now, three races in a row he changed completely. I am very sorry to say that his father is a bad influence for him. His father is making him the one and only; so no respect whatsoever to the others.
IMO Max's behavior is directly linked to his fathers attendance at races , When the Dad is not there Max calms down. RB banned the Dad last year and this helped Max perform. In Mexico the domineering Soccer Mum crazy Dad was back. I remember in Max early days seeing his Dad leaning over the barrier with fist clenched and glaring at Dan. That was around the time Max drove into the side of Dans car after Dan beat him of the line. remember Dan saying was that who I think it was.
Well,everybody who is the latest F1 perfect critic- I'm happy for you that you all appear to have perfect vision and oversight on the F1 shindigs' so far - how satisfying it must be to be (nominally) right. We all know that the end result of 2019 is now a forgone conclusion,and,we can now beat our breast's about who could and should (and - please - don't fuck about with our F1)have won F1 2019. We all (as fans) know that the money will win all the time,Liberty Media will Americanise F1 until it becomes a clone of IndyNasCar and then drop it like a piece of hot poop,take the left over money and sell said formula of racing 'Who cares,plc'. All I can say is,UK Channel 4 tv. Please FIGHT for the rights to show this once excellent sport of Champions on tv.ps. Highlights are biz...
✅ Checkout the latest 50 F1 Fans comments.