Verstappen slams 'match-fixing' accusation
Max Verstappen has slammed suggestions that he was "gifted" victory at the recent Austrian GP.
Two weeks ago, the Dutchman won at the Red Bull Ring after a thrilling battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
But fellow Dutchman and former F1 driver Michael Bleekemolen suggested afterwards that Mercedes, having won every other race in 2019, had been encouraged to suffer from what it later described as cooling problems.
"It smells like something. Yes, match-fixing," Bleekemolen had told Ziggo Sport.
"I have learned from a reliable source that Mercedes were asked if they could do that."
When asked about Bleekemolen's comments at Silverstone, Verstappen snapped: "I was gifted victory, is that right?
"If you are thinking like that, I think that's pretty stupid," the Red Bull driver added.
Mercedes also called Bleekemolen's race-fixing accusation "absolute nonsense".
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Load of frekkin crap
He knows he fast but he is not the Massacre of F1 lot of rubbish whit is remarks
All sports are tampered with and fixed all the time. People bet on F-1 results. To feign being offended at the race being fixed is a bit too obvious.
While at it, what is one to make out of this sudden speed and brilliance of Gasly?
Looks awfully fishy.
verstappen should have been given a penalty.. enough said.
Max gets away with murder at least Charles will not go in to change again
Leclerc, after today's race clearly stated that the Austria race wasan eye opener.
I have it on good authority that Leclerc's Ferrari from now on will carry a motto: μολὼν λαβέ.
Race fixing??? Mercedes fixes every race so Lewis Hamilton can win, even at the expense of their other driver, Valteri Bottas. Ham ignores team orders...no problem, he gets rewarded for it by being given more power so he can steal 1 lousy fastest lap point from Bottas. Toto Wolff must be Hamilton's bitch! Verstappen gets out of position and brakes into Vettel, and Vettel is given a 10 second penalty. don't ever tell me that F1 isn't fixed. The 'golden boy' must win at all costs !
We dont mind. We cant wait for him to eclipse Schummi's 91. Just 13 more wins to go. #TeamLH44
Can somebody please explain: - a) For what type of incidents on the track a the Safety car comes onto the track? b) For what type of incidents the Virtual safety car is "activated"? c) Why can cars make a free pit-stop under the Safety car but not under the Virtual safety car?
If the hazard on the track can be cleared without relative danger to the stewards and drivers then the VSC is activated. The drivers then reduce their speed to a given delta and their gaps remain virtually same until the hazard is cleared. A full course caution i.e. safety car is deployed when the hazard on the track cannot be cleared without serious danger to the drivers and stewards. The race pace is curtailed and the race is virtually reset. Drivers have to "catch'' and stay behind the safety car until the hazard is clear. It is this reset that enables them to have a free pit stop.
A when risk to driver/marshals/recovery is high.B low risk to A.
C all cars close behind s/c thereby the track is clear,VSC cars are spread around the track on fixed speed ,holding position pitstops would be detrimental to true position.Hope this helps.
Thanks "Bent". It still does not make sense to me why (in the case of the Safety Car) a "free" pit-stop is allowed? Drivers who have not pitted (shortly) before the Safety Car get a huge benefit from it without "working" for it. That's not racing...
Its true. I also thought so. After the fallout in Canada and the absolute dominance in France, Mercedes were under serious duress from the fans led by the millions of keyboard warriors labeling the sport as boring. Anyone could have won Austria, it just wasn't going to be Mercedes. They have never have such a weekend where both cars "fail" based on performance. The problem is we seem to have a horde of young and new fans who do not actually know how F1 has always had dominant teams. We can trace this back to the Fangio days and the first silver arrows in the 1950's. Mercedes can easily lock out the front row in every single grand prix up until the regulations changes come in 2021. I would not be surprised if they are already deep in to the development of next year's car.
If the hazard on the track can be cleared without relative danger to the stewards and drivers then the VSC is activated. The drivers then reduce their speed to a given delta and their gaps remain virtually same until the hazard is cleared. A full course caution i.e. safety car is deployed when the hazard on the track cannot be cleared without serious danger to the drivers and stewards. The race pace is curtailed and the race is virtually reset. Drivers have to "catch'' and stay behind the safety car until the hazard is clear. It is this reset that enables them to have a free pit stop.
I understand Robert. However, under the VSC non of the drivers are "penalized" or getting a "benefit. Why then a free pitstop under the SC where some drivers gets a benefit & the others loose out. This is not fair racing. As far as I am concerned, the free pit stop rule should not exist.
Drivers also gain pitstop time under VSC cue Australia 2018 when Vettel pitted under VSC and gained on Hamilton
Mercedes loses only when they are told to lose.
Touche!