Max Verstappen furiously called for an end to questions over his British Grand Prix collision with Lewis Hamilton when he spoke after today’s qualifying session.
Verstappen said the preoccupation with the subject had become “ridiculous”. Having been unavailable to speak to the media after being taken to hospital following the crash at Silverstone, the Red Bull driver answered questions on the subject on Thursday at the Hungaroring.The subject was raised again by Formula 1’s official press conference moderator in the session following today’s qualifying session, before journalists were given the opportunity to ask questions.
Verstappen cut the question short and made clear he was in no mood to discuss it further. “Can we just stop about this?” he fumed.
“We had so many fucking questions about this it’s just ridiculous. Honestly, the whole Thursday we’ve been answering this stupid shit all the time. So can we just stop about it, please.
“We are racers, we will race and of course we’re going to race hard but fair. So we just keep pushing each.”
Hamilton also declined to answer a question on the same subject.
Before arriving at the Hungaroring for this weekend’s race, Verstappen said he did not wish to contribute to “media hype” around the collision between the two title contenders. On Thursday the stewards rejected Red Bull’s call for their decision on the incident to be reviewed.
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jlb
31st July 2021, 17:53
Doesn’t surprise me. Everyone knows the deplorable treat that Lewis’ friends showed to Alonso in the past. That’s how it works in the Kingdom I guess.
DeanR
31st July 2021, 18:26
Errrrr… Spanish fans blacking up with T shirts stating “Hamiltons family”, ring any bells?
Rick
31st July 2021, 23:04
Does the difference between “press” and “fans” ring any bells?
Andy Bunting (@wildbiker)
1st August 2021, 6:32
+1
Dave
1st August 2021, 8:39
Alonso condemned that.
Kurik
31st July 2021, 17:53
I am with you on this one Max…so very tired of it. Sky keeps stoking it as well. Enough already.
David BR (@david-br)
31st July 2021, 18:05
Maybe have a word with your team managers Max. Deliberately fuelling controversy for 2 weeks has its consequences. Or maybe consider another team.
geoffgroom44 (@)
31st July 2021, 18:17
agreed.The ‘fuelled controversy’ also ‘fuelled’ some pretty bad sportsmanship today from the crowd. F1 is in danger of degenerating into football crowd mentality from 30 years ago.I also give Max credit (though I am not a fan) for his words about the booing today.
David BR (@david-br)
31st July 2021, 18:23
@geoffgroom44 Max has been the least problematic I think, calm, measured, understandably annoyed but looking to move on apparently. Agree about the booing – same applied when the pro-Hamilton crowd booed Rosberg, it simply doesn’t fit with a high-risk sport.
Emma
31st July 2021, 21:03
I suspect part of the reason Max is sick and tired of it all is because he knows if roles were reversed, he’d have done exactly the same thing. He must be a bit perplexed by his team’s (and fans) prolonged bleating.
David BR (@david-br)
31st July 2021, 22:40
I think so too, it may also be counterproductive for him if and when he’s faced with a similar chance of a pass as Lewis was.
aditya
1st August 2021, 2:36
well I believe Max would have done the same thing if the role were to be reversed, but he would also have received more severe penalty
Rob (@)
1st August 2021, 3:32
F1 is degenerating because a driver made an amateur move that sent his rival to the hospital and got max points for it. I would be less concerned if it happened twice before with albon, but I think rb has a right to feel wronged
dbHenry
31st July 2021, 21:11
A non-British perspective is that The RB Team Managers were doing their job.
Fueling controversy? More like seeking fairness from their point of view. The Media fueled the controversy while the Hamilton fans ate it up.
ian dearing
31st July 2021, 21:32
You mean by Hamilton fans nearly all the current F1 drivers?
geoffgroom44 (@)
1st August 2021, 7:39
haha.Oh, I like that Ian Dearing…I quite agree with you :-)
John H (@john-h)
31st July 2021, 22:20
Seeking fairness? What by accusing a competitor openly of dirty driving? These things don’t just go away because Red Bull now choose to back track.
David BR (@david-br)
31st July 2021, 22:43
I’m actually seeing it from Verstappen’s perspective. What did those two weeks achieve for Red Bull and him that was positive?
Zap (@)
31st July 2021, 18:16
Good for Max. This dead horse has been beaten enough.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st July 2021, 18:32
Reminded me of Seb’s response to Louis Dekker in the 2018 Bahrain GP post-race press conference.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
31st July 2021, 18:48
Max reaping what he’s sown. Looks like Hamilton is fully in his head now. May help him drag a slower car to the championship.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2021, 7:30
You’re delusional @darryn
geoffgroom44 (@)
1st August 2021, 7:41
as history has observed through the ages, it is a very very thin line between being delusional and being a visionary
Csaba T Kiss
31st July 2021, 19:10
He wasn’t angry. He certainly didn’t do it furiously. He is understandably tired of answering the same question hundreds of times. Don’t blow it out of proportions!
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
31st July 2021, 20:10
I’m starting to see what Prost/Senna would have looked like if there would have been an internet and stupid press conferences after every annoying session. I think this is shaping up to be an amazing and contentious championship. Better to tune out of social media and enjoy it for what it is I think.
Carbonized
31st July 2021, 23:33
Amen brother, beautifully said!
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
1st August 2021, 1:57
+1 Comment of the day.
Lopes da Silva
1st August 2021, 8:47
Do you remember a time when you would watch the race under the comments of two informed people (including Hunt, if you’re British), then buy your motorsport newspaper on Monday written by informed and professional journalists (like the ones running this site), and that was it?
macradar (@macradar)
31st July 2021, 21:12
I think Max is maturing beautifully. He is calm and measured. It’s good to see.
His biggest problem is CH and the other guy.
If he had someone measured like Toto around him his career would bloosom, and as a person too.
I wish him well.
erikje
31st July 2021, 21:40
Toto… my God. His lying skills will grow but not the kind of example you can wish for your driver.
If you have to choose between a hypocrite defending his driver or a liar ,i go for the hypocrite
Blaize Falconberger (@)
31st July 2021, 22:00
Any evidence of this lying? Or examples… which are not hearsay?
Raynaud (@)
31st July 2021, 22:14
Yes and that’s why George’s career is going so well….
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
1st August 2021, 2:06
George’s career is going well so far, especially compared to the likes of Albon, Kvyat, and arguably even Gasly, who will probably never end up in a top team again.
lucifer (@lucifer)
31st July 2021, 21:55
good that he told the media off. silverstone was 2 weeks ago time to move on.
RocketTankski
31st July 2021, 22:57
Astounding crashes from F1 history : Grosjean’s fireball, Webber’s backflip, and that one time Max got a slight nudge and slid into the barrier.
Andy Bunting (@wildbiker)
1st August 2021, 6:36
Well said Max!
Anyone got 2 rolls of gaffer/duct tape?
1 for Kwischin, the other for Toasty!!
Dave
1st August 2021, 7:27
Well said from Max.
Lopes da Silva
1st August 2021, 8:44
Verstappen has an effective way to deal with the same pressure that annoys Naomi Osaka (they were born with two weeks difference). Their different personalities mean that they deal with the problem in different ways. But neither of them is willing to take it, given that it takes a nerve in them.
A third kind of personality, that of Kimi, would shrug shoulders and say “we crashed. I think you all saw it”.
Dave
1st August 2021, 12:03
He’s cracking…