Verstappen's Sim Racing Ban: Marko Clarifies It's Just a Suggestion
Aug.6 - Red Bull's ban on late-night sim racing sessions for Max Verstappen during Formula 1 race weekends is actually just a "recommendation".
That's the revised position of the energy drink brand's F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko, who initially declared that he and Verstappen had "agreed" that racing "well past midnight" would no longer occur.
When he initially heard about the 'ban', triple world champion Verstappen hit back: "No, it's not that I have a ban or whatever.
"I don't need to tell them what they do in their private time during the weekends, and that's the same for me," the 26-year-old added.
Marko, 81, now says the chat he had with Verstappen about his late-night routines was actually just a "very strong recommendation".
"There is not a ban," he told Sky Deutschland, "but a very strong recommendation. He has a completely different sleep pattern, but such things that can be used against you must be prevented.
"However, it is all a strong recommendation," Austrian Marko added.
Verstappen's gaming only became an issue when he displayed a notably bad mood throughout the Hungarian GP weekend - and not, for instance, when he won at Imola earlier this season shortly after a similarly very late night.
Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton remarked after Hungary that the Red Bull driver was not acting like a "team leader".
"Maybe not so much a team leader but more so just always remember you are a teammate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion," he said.
Verstappen insisted the criticism from Hamilton, 39, did not really bother him.
"Everyone can have their opinion," he told Viaplay. "That's all fine, but I can't do anything with that. It's not my problem either."
The Dutchman suspects it was just Hamilton acting like a rival, both on the track as well as off the track. "For me that's what it is, anyway," said Verstappen.
"Everyone has their own opinion, of course, and they all just do their thing. I go home, I do my thing."
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I agree with Max. His free time is his own time to entertain himself as he wishes. At least he is entertaining himself by employing his racing skills, and not going out on a drunken binge to night clubs! Even with his very late nights and reduced rest, Max leaves Checko behind in his dust! Also Max doesn't bend cars as often as his team mate!
Very well put & I couldn't agree more.
Everyone indeed has a right to decide how they spend their free time.
And he had the right to be grumpy, because the race strategy was very poor in Hungary.
The only obvious difference is when its written into your contract you wont do X, perhaps skydiving and surfing are considered very safe for insurance companies
Max imo is beginning to let things slip a little, what with all the hassle CH & the team have been through, Josh sticking his nose in & not caring for what's happening to the team, maybe this is where Sir lulu gains his strength, nose to the grindstone every day & don't miss a trick after all he's got himself back up there hasn't he so you have to give him credit for that.
6-7mths ago ish Lulu said she was off, 7 mths later the media and Merc are saying they are contenders and going to win everything, i cant give Louise any credit for signing a 2yr deal with her Family , then 6 mths later binning them off just for money, good judgment or bad judgement ?
Maximo slipping , could be , but unlikely with his lead in the championship, god forbid he has a dnf the media will wet themselves, roll on the Euro-Sand Gp
Go on Stroppy give Lewis some credit, a few months ago you and Susan were squealing endlessly about how he was too old and past it and should retire. You can’t blame him for wanting Red either, he’s a flamboyant character after all.
I think it will be Max who wets himself if he has a dnf. He will not be able to cope with not being the best and will walk away.
Max just wants the best car performance
Dame Edna just wants to be in the limelight
And No , not just a few months ago , ive been advocating she should have retired when she went into her sort of Howard Hughes-esq period of hiding like a teenager might.
Fortunately leaving the team that made you great isn't a bad act of team leadership...
Especially if Max does the same in due course ( if any other team would have him and his father)
Max just wants the best car performance, or else I’ll scream and scream and scream like a teenager!
In the limelight or hiding away (during the winter break), which is it. I think we can imagine the response from Max and Jos if the tables were turned.
No , she was definitely hiding from the nasty nasty media, are you saying Torger has bad judgment, mind you, he is pretty inexperienced ( I could stop there) about employing drivers, so maybe he has
Dame Edna and Barry Humphries would turn in their grave if they knew they were being compared with or likened to Louise!
Sir Les Patterson would be a more fitting comparison for Louise!
I don't believe anyone doubts Louise's skills and abilities as a great driver. She has the runs on the score board. It's the off track antics and nonsense that discredits her.
I don't believe anyone doubts Louise's skills and abilities as a great driver. She has the runs on the score board. It's the off track antics and nonsense that discredits her.
Smokey Its been explained untold times the exact above facts,unfortunately some just are blind to it Im so looking forward to Laura's Italian team radio spats , the gift that keeps on giving, not so much the prancing horse, more like the dancing dame.
If he can get a word in between Max’s spats.🤡
Thanks for reminding me Shropp,, when the cause of my dislike for sir lulu is exactly what you say.,, I was beginning to think I was going soft.
I don't know if I was really praising sir Lulu, it is just the fact that he spends a lot of time with his engineers & designers to maybe correct the the car as to what he wants & it seems to be working, just mayby it's time for Max to do the instead of playing the simm machines I'm sure his engineer would agree.
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