Verstappen attacks “disgusting” reaction to Brazil team orders row

2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen says the reaction from some fans and certain people “in the paddock” to last week’s fall-out over team orders at Red Bull was unacceptable.

The team issued a statement today admitting it had made “mistakes” when asking Verstappen to allow Sergio Perez to overtake him for sixth place on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, which he refused to do. They also condemned abuse directed at members of their team on social media following the race.

Verstappen said he had told the team at the previous race in Mexico he was not prepared to move aside for Perez in those circumstances.

“It wasn’t about the position, it doesn’t matter if it’s first or second or sixth or seventh or tenth,” said Verstappen in today’s FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi. “It was about something that happened earlier in the season.

“I already explained that in Mexico and the team understood and agreed. We went to Brazil and I just thought we’re going to race, try to get the best possible result.”

Red Bull should have expected he would not let Perez pass him, said Verstappen. “We had a bit of a miscommunication on Saturday and Sunday, nothing had been said to me about a potential swap or whatever. It only came into that last lap that it was said on the radio and I think they should have known my response already from what I said the week before.

“After that race we had some good discussions, we put everything on the table and everything has been solved. So in hindsight we should have had that conversation earlier because I have never been a bad team mate to anyone, I’ve always been very helpful and the team knows that.

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Transcript: “Don’t fight Max” – How Red Bull’s team radio row in Brazil unfolded
“I always put the team up front because at the end of the day it is a team effort. So I think what we learned from that is that we have to be a little bit more open and we have to communicate better to each other.”

Verstappen criticised the reaction to the incident both in media coverage of the race and comments posted to social media.

“After that race, of course, I looked very bad in the media,” he said. “But also they didn’t have the clear pictures. To immediately put me down like that is pretty ridiculous. Because they don’t know how I work within the team and what the team appreciates about me. So all the things I have read is pretty disgusting.

“Even more than that they started attacking my family, they were threatening my sister, my mum, my girlfriend, my dad, and for me that goes way too far when you don’t even have the facts of what actually was going on. And that definitely has to stop. If you have a problem with me, that’s fine, but don’t go after my family because that is just unacceptable.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Interlagos, 2022
Report: Red Bull “accept Max’s reasoning” over radio row and condemn online abuse
“But we move on, obviously I have a great relationship with Checo. But of course I don’t understand when people have the full picture to immediately start attacking me like that. I hope one day they actually understand what was going on because it’s just unacceptable behaviour, so many people also in this paddock, to be honest, it’s not only fans but a lot of people. What they have been writing about me is just ridiculous.”

Perez goes into the final race of the season tied on points with Charles Leclerc for second place in the championship. Verstappen said he is prepared to help his team mate secure the position this time if needed.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the battle. As a team we have never finished first and second so if we could achieve that, that would be amazing. For sure if the opportunity is there to help, as a team, we are going to do that.”

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2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
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156 comments on “Verstappen attacks “disgusting” reaction to Brazil team orders row”

  1. What’s disgusting is what your mother did on Instagram towards your teammate. Apparently it runs in the family

    1. any link or reference to your story? I am just curious.

      1. His mum brought up the fact that Checo was caught cheating

        1. Very disappointed in Sophie. She was someone who seemed to conduct herself with dignity and that side of her is clearly in Max, in some respects.

      2. And Pérez already made a statement at the time admitting to a dance floor pecadillo at a party in Monaco, which, can you imagine having to make a public statement about that?

        So that’s really hardcore for Ms. Kumpen to twist the knife about that months later. It’s also bizarre to think that Verstappen has been waiting to avenge a dishonor to Pérez’s wife. This is like some crazy Jane Austin joint right now.

        1. That isn’t Max Mum do you check the accounts….

          1. @macleod Maybe difficult now Chief Twit Musk has blown up anything like reliable twitter verification…

      1. BLS (@brightlampshade)
        17th November 2022, 14:27

        I believe Verstappens mum took to instagram to accuse Perez of cheating on his wife. So yeah, there’s that.

        1. If she did this, it was a stupid idea.

      2. https://jalopnik.com/max-verstappens-mom-is-fighting-with-her-sons-teammate-1849791687

        This dramatic scene is worthy of an episode in a TV series like Santa Barbara :)

    2. I’ve seen onboard from Checo’s car in Monaco, and it looked like he did it on purpose.

    3. Rumours say that Checo cheated with the wife of one of max’s best friend and that this would explain what happended in Brasil.

  2. BLS (@brightlampshade)
    17th November 2022, 12:50

    He really does live in a pampered little world of his own doesn’t he!

    1. Yes and with his daddy running the Mad Max PR machine, makes Donald Trump look like a saintly choir boy!!!

  3. Have nothing better to say? Blame the social media.

    People expected better from him on a year he finally flourished as a driver, but he chosed to be a lion against his team mate everybody knows is a lesser driver and is only there to serve him.

    Social media only reacts to what happens. It is not the problem here. His actions are.

    1. The crux is that Verstappen chose to say that he ‘had his reasons’ on the radio to his team. He could have kept quiet, just said, ‘it wasn’t possible’ and left everything for the internal debrief. But no. He decided to let everyone in and following Formula 1 know that he ‘had reasons.’ Inevitably, then, that raised two questions: what reasons? and if Verstappen is bearing a grudge against Perez, which he still seems to be implying, where’s the recognition of Perez’s role in his own success last year?
      Failing to recognise his own responsibility in kicking up a media storm, he know calls all criticism of him ‘disgusting.’ To which the only reaction can be: really?! And treating your team mate, who fought for you last season, like worthless rubbish is what then?

      1. Failing to recognise his own responsibility in kicking up a media storm, he know calls all criticism of him ‘disgusting.’ To which the only reaction can be: really?! And treating your team mate, who fought for you last season, like worthless rubbish is what then?

        But, but, but, Verstappen is just perfect and they (everyone) should accept that what he does is right – even when the rest of the world knows that it was a combination of low moral standards and a mouth too fast for his brain. (That’s a mild p-take for the people who might not have clicked)

        As you say:
        1. He shouldn’t have behaved like that, as it made no difference to his position in the WDC
        2. Having done it, mouthing off over a public radio channel about alleged “reasons” doesn’t suggest he is the sharpest knife in the box.
        There are times to speak and times to keep your own council.

        Sitting in a press session and trying to take the moral high ground after his inter-personal skills have been well and truly demonstrated as lacking wasn’t a bright idea. Downright dumb is what it is.

      2. This guy just has zero ability for self reflection. That is his problem. He is a great driver, but also a narcissist like his dad and he’s not too bright either.

  4. Max’s response is disgusting

    If you don’t want to get burned, stay out of the fire, and certainly don’t start it yourself

    What does he expect

  5. I would say I’m a fan of Red Bull, and of Verstappen – he’s a very gifted driver. But this all leaves a very bitter taste – you can’t claim to always put the team first when you go counter to something that actually would benefit them? Red Bull have never had 1-2 in the championship before and he has deliberately jepoardized that because of ‘something’ that happened earlier in the season? Makes you look petty and selfish, certainly not a team-player. If he thinks he has a ‘great relationship’ with Perez he’s delusional – if he did, he certainly doesn’t now. Dismissing this as ‘you don’t know the full picture’ while simultaneously denying to elaborate on it… well this is a problem of your own creation. Don’t get me wrong, great driver – arguably one of the best the sport’s seen. But not a nice man.

    1. Gangadhar Ambali
      17th November 2022, 14:24

      My respect to Max has taken a nose dive after this incident.
      He is a great drver alrght .
      But he also is a a very snobbish, selfish person.

      Is this the same guy that once called Checo a legend ?
      i highly doubt about his 2021 championship if not for Checos heroics in holding Ham.

      Max needs to learn to see things from above, the big picture.
      He has along way to go .
      He wiil need help from teammates if wants to continue smashing records.

      1. Without doubt (IMO) without Checo last year, Max would not be champion.

        Well, the final events may have done the deed anyway, but I’m still pretty certain it would have played out differently.

        Checo has, many times put the team and most definitely Max over his own performance.

        1. Without Masi, Max would not be champion.

          Perez holding up Hamilton shouldn’t have been a factor in any way with the result had the rulebook been followed correctly with the race finishing under yellow as it should have done.

          1. Nope check lost over 10seconds in lattimer Lewis had. Had he not been held up lewis could have putted and come out ahead of verstappen

    2. This sums up how I feel about this whole thing. He is talking about something from earlier in the season and conveniently forgetting about all of the times Checo moved over or held up his opponents for him. Pretty spiteful, classless, spoiled human.

    3. Well said. What he will eventually learn is that the sport is bigger than he is. What a disappointment.

    4. He’s not $100 to make everyone like him ;)

    5. @rocketpanda He had an ‘ideal’ relationship with Perez: the latter did everything the Verstappens wanted without posing any threat to him. Obviously MV thought that was ‘great’. But also, apparently, no more than any other paid help should be doing for him. No thanks or gratitude needed.

  6. Even if you don’t agree with his actions in Brazil, all this stuff about threatening his family and things like that show how toxic social media can be. I don’t understand how crazy some people can be. I think the criticism of Max or Red Bull is entirely legitimate, but some things go waaaay to far.

    Separately, his statement “obviously I have a great relationship with Checo” is not obvious to me at all given what Checo said on the radio about Max after the incident. It’s all a bit strange and, frankly, would be tidied up if Max did give his full side of the story and said why he was unwilling to let Checo past.

    1. Indeed @f1horner, hatred towards others online is bad, and we really have to try and do better. But apart from that bit, which he is right about, both his and the Red Bull statement are hard to take entirely serious with their story making little sense on the face of it. Sometimes it’s better not to comment than do it like this and make people look incredulous.

      It’s not helped by both Horner and Verstappen having had a solid hand at giving air to (online) abuse last year, especially since Silverstone, just that then it was towards Mercedes, Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton. Oh, and apparently Verstappen’s mother towards Checo after Brazil, sigh; so a look in the mirror before they’re saying that might add to the message, and that goes double so for Horner who’s supposed to be the professional in charge.

      But it’s just incredibly disappointing that while you’re not knowing the full facts that people write so many bad things straightaway.

      eh, yeah, fans never have all the facts, but once one does a public action, it’s open to interpretation. More serious when it’s people that do, or should be able to, have all the facts yet still keep repeating untruth.

      1. @bosyber After the (alleged) social media attacks on Checo from the Verstappen family, I thought, just imagine how bad it would be if this was over a championship, not one fairly meaningless race (Monaco). And then I remembered the Silverstone 2021 reaction of family and team.

  7. petebaldwin (@)
    17th November 2022, 13:07

    Whilst I think he should have let Checo by and was disappointed by his words, he needs to start blocking the online abuse out. A group would have thrown abuse at him whether he’d let Checo by or not. The #TeamLH lot (not all Lewis fans – a specific type of Lewis fan) would have claimed petting Checo past was worse than Ferrari in Austria but because he didn’t let him past, Max is evil and hates his team mate. It’s irrelevant what people who hate you think – it’ll always be negative so just ignore them.

    What he should focus on is that lots of people who do like Max weren’t too impressed with what they saw. It came across as a very poor decision however you look at it. If I was Checo, I’d certainly not be focussing too much on helping Max in future with how things have been left.

    1. The online abuse does not just happen though @petebaldwin. It is being deliberately cultivated and stoked by certain groups, some of whom may well have been in the room when Max was giving his response. In all likelihood his statements were directed at them as much as they were the people online who engage in much of the abuse.

      1. This from a team that accused Lewis of trying to kill their driver.
        From a team that gained a WDC from FIAs actions
        From a team that broke the spending cap
        From a team whos supporters abused other team followers.
        Whos followers are amongst the most toxic.

        You want me to fell sorry for such a team

        1. nailed it…….

        2. So you think it’s ok the death threats, quite an eye opener to me about your personality.

          1. Which death threats?

            The orange army was sexually abusing females and abusing other fans at tracks.
            I don’t have any time to spare feeling anything for such a toxic team.

          2. Where did he say that?

        3. So you actually blame the team for some of its supporters misbehaving? It is not that they choose their supporters or are they? And I think they clearly disassociated themselves from these so-called supporters and condemned their behavior.

        4. It’s not about anybody “feeling sorry” for anybody else. It’s about everyone doing their bit to dial down the toxicity that surrounds F1, particularly online.

          1. When teams resort to illegal methods to win WDCs don’t act surprised if their is a backlash

  8. All he had to do was to keep his mouth shut in the race, when media asked about it if he responded by saying I am the number 1 driver and I don’t give my place to anyone – I think there would have been much less stipualtion about it rather than this mess.

  9. It seems his fans follow after their driver. Always blame someone else.

  10. The media and some competitors have reached such a low level, it is hard to believe. All integrity went out the window ever since Trump showed the masses you dont need to know anything about anything. You can just shout at any one you dont like. I wish we could back to the f1fanatics days. I’d love to have a conversations on latest tech development. That audience seems long gone.

    1. Fully agree. It is so disheartening… there are fewer and fewer sites where the comments are informative, positive and interesting. I wish that we could go back to the days were people, fans or not, could disagree without resorting to hate. I hope the FIA, drivers and teams will work together to create a better environment for everyone.

      1. easy shut down the social media comments section and if people start threats with hate they should be deleted from the media.

    2. You are right !

    3. Yep I went looking for a more technical focused site… It’s out there. Just browse here for the wider news.

    4. To be able to comment about latest tech innovations/ developments, you actually need some knowledge. You don’t need the full information/ knowledge to have a say about behaviour of someone you don’t know or your opinion about procedures that weren’t followed the way you wanted, all you need is an indication or assumption.. or nothing.. just say it, why not.. It’s anyway true, everyone has it’s own (not validated) truth.

    5. Agree that is the reason why I deleted my account on this site a couple of months ago. But I still find myself here because there are also still good articles that add value. Just try to ignore the tabloid style articles and the “hate” comments of the usual suspects.

  11. Max you look bad on track and bad off track – just get used to it.

    1. and here is the problem! he has no problem with comments on himself but leave others out. Start using your brains and read what is said.

    2. So you think it’s ok the death threats, quite an eye opener to me about your personality.

      1. Of course. family threats are unacceptable but didn’t Verstappen’s mom post something about Checo’s marriage that she deleted?

        Should we think about the innocent children as Red Bull accused everyone after overspending? Think about Max’s children! I’m personally offended that people would say such mean things about their dad!

      2. Isn’t it strange, though, that when Hamilton was getting accuse, death threats and the like last year, often based on things Verstappen or Horner has said about him, Max was pretty much silent on the matter?

        This seems like another example of his selfishness and hypocrisy to me: he didn’t care if other drivers and their families are being abused, and he didn’t care when his friends, family or supporters are handing out the accuse, but suddenly when it’s about him it matters.

        Now that none of this is condoning the online abuse, btw. It’s horrific that so many receive such abuse.

    3. Let’s be honest, he looks pretty good on track unless he is anywhere near HAM. He SOUNDS really bad on track and worse off track.

      1. @ucat33 he looked bad against Ricciardo at Baku, he looked bad against Leclerc a couple of years ago, and he’s looked bad in every tangle with Hamilton except when Hamilton offered the track as a gift.

        Essentially, he’s looked bad when it matters.

        1. Did he look bad in the rain in Brazil 2016?

          1. I think he would have if he had to overtake a similarly paced car ;-)

          2. Only hamilton would’ve been a challenge, unfortunately that gamble backfired, but I’m pretty sure neither verstappen nor hamilton would’ve overtaken each other in that race.

        2. Michael, this is an oddly specific and non-representative selection of moments to fit your narrative. Please go back to statistics 101 before commenting things like this. ;D

          You could make a list like that for HAM, MSC, VET, ALO, ROS and make them all look incompetent, not needed.

  12. The silver lining is that F1 has got a bad boy again. Controversy is good for the sport as it fuels social media and keeps the conversation going. I can’t wait for Mercedes and Ferrari to be competitive again in 2023. And let’s hope that Perez will be a more assertive driver in 2023: no more gifts to the golden boy in the first half of the season. He has his own reasons now.

    1. He is just the best out there according to his rivals with some track record.
      Except for the old boy with his nanny taking care of his hair extensions, haha

      1. Except for the old boy with his nanny taking care of his hair extensions, haha

        Alonso has an elderly nanny that does hair extensions?
        Alonso has hair extensions?

        Well, you live and learn.

      2. So much for the name ‘Erase Hate’…

      3. Angela is awesome. Have a look at her Instagram account. She is a force for good. Lewis guardian angel.

      4. Stop spreading your last name and please apply your first name to yourself, thank you.

  13. The most ridiculous was to compare max to ronaldo, a perfect example of today’s bad journalism 101. “I have no impartiality, I don’t like the guy so I’m going to present my opinion as a stated fact by making a rhetorical question”. They pick up on a footballer that pays for kids surgeries, known for the work ethic so it does not matter what you, if you are not from the right country or team, they will make you anything they want.

  14. are you maxs sister by any chance? You seem to know who exactly attacked.

  15. “Ged, I’ll level with you. I’m really scared.”

  16. I condemn without reservation personal abuse of any kind. But, I have to also say that, given the history of that team, I cannot take any statement they make at face value.

    1. Well then Merc and it members should not be surpriced if what goes around comes around. And let me make myself clear, i hate it when people act like keyboard heroes! if you have something to say, go to the person or write to the person with your own name and be brave to accept a response wich you might not like.

      1. When it comes around?
        Like when the redbull team accused Lewis of trying to kill Max?

        The spindle was spun by Redbull a long time ago.

      2. and I am not sure why redbull defenders keep bring up Merc.

        This is on redbull and max and only on redbull and max.
        Stop deflecting.

      3. @erit I seem to have upset you – I honestly don’t know how. Do you believe everything every team says? Do some teams seem to be worse than others to you? I have my own opinions, and I state them, but I don’t think I engage in personal abuse.

  17. I agree with Max and other drivers who had threats made against family over what happened on track – that is crazy and out of bounds. Passion for a team is one thing, but never families.

    To be a top talent, you need a strong ego. That doesn’t excuse poor decisions. He obviously never learned two wrongs don’t make a right – His actions were petty and I hope the next pass on Perez by MV is fought as hard as Perez fought LH last year in the final.

    1. How do you know his actions were petty – do you know his “reasons”? Or just what thenpress has spun to get hits?

      1. None of what he or the team said provides any info to change the fact that he denied letting Perez by for points that would have made a difference to Perez and his team, but hardly to himself, and that he had ‘reasons’ which are so solid he cannot reveal them?

        By the way, the first we heard from the press about those reasons were from one of the Coronel brothers, ie. friends of Verstappen’s family and close to the Dutch Ziggo camp, who in the time they were the official F1 channel in F1 were in full on Versappen fanmode so that he was never materially to blame for anything and almost all penalties were bias and sour grapes, and the report it was done in an attempt to defend Verstappen, ie. provide a ‘solid’ reason for him not wanting to. It might be fake, but perhaps then someone needs to talk to their friends rather than blame those that comment on that story.

      2. “I” thought his actions were petty the moment I heard them during the race.

      3. If he wishes to reveal valid, non-petty reasons, Max is free to do so. If he didn’t, all we have to go on definitely is the fact that he refused to help his teammate, who has helped him without question for the last two years, even though it would have cost him nothing. Without a seriously good reason, that’s petty (as well as selfish, hypocritical, and not very clever).

  18. @armchairexpert likes to walk in take a dump on the dinner table and watch everyone react.

  19. Well i guess he can handle the heat Perez will put on him. That has never been a problem.

  20. This lack of self-awareness almost seems to border on delusion.

    I wonder if there are FIA / team mechanisms to safeguard the mental wellbeing of drivers and others in the sport. They are subject to massive stress and quite frankly some of the behaviour we have seen from many drivers sometimes suggests possible issues.

    Plus growing up in a hyper competitive, male-dominated environment cannot be conducive to becoming a balanced person. The FIA could play a positive role in this area .

  21. Checo begging to be let by while driving a car that is more than good enough for him to finish second in every race if he was a good enough driver. Finishing second because your team mate gifted you points is also not respectful to the other driver fighting for that position, in a way it’s cheating plain and simple.

    1. IMO a selfish way to think and behave in a team sport like F1. But it seems MV agrees with you.
      So the good of the whole team, hundreds of people, means nothing to you at all? For the team to win the Constructors, and also come 1 + 2 in the Drivers championship, would I think be a first, after a long dry spell for them. Personally, I would think more of that achievement if there were not *asterisks* here and there, but it’s clear that others don’t see it the same way.

      1. @biker56 This is it exactly. Verstappen could have ignored Pérez and instead focused on the hundreds of other people working at Red Bull that do directly relate to Verstappen’s chance for more of the successes he seeks. He should have done it for them. That Pérez needs help to finish 2nd in the Red Bull is a bit silly, but that being the case, Verstappen should have been the bigger man and given the team what they want. Again, not for Pérez, but for the team he is a part of.

        And yes, Pérez did help Verstappen a bit last season. But he’d have been a much bigger help if he hadn’t finished behind Hamilton all but four times (Monaco, Azerbaijan, Italy and Turkey).

    2. Finishing second because your team mate gifted you points is also not respectful to the other driver fighting for that position, in a way it’s cheating plain and simple.

      Doesn’t that count double for someone who finishes 1st because their team-mate gifted them positions and points?
      Go on, claim that Checo never did that for Max.

  22. I still don’t understand it. Perez has had one job. Finish before LeClerc and Max showed him how to do it many times. And threatening on Social media Pffffff. Mentally disturbed people.

  23. As a Verstappen fan, I’ve lost a fair amount of respect for him & Red Bull over this. Even if Perez did the dirty in Monaco, he’s still spent the majority of his time playing second fiddle & helping Max when possible. With both championships sorted it was ridiculous for Max to hold position over what is believed to be about Monaco. How does Max not see how Perez has helped him a fair amount in the past. Max had to be punished by Red Bull in some way to remind him who’s (meant to be) in charge. Instead they’re almost predictably supporting him & only increasing his ego.

    1. Without the interference from Checo Max would’ve started from the front row and probably won the race, deciding the championship before the race in A.D,

      1. The race in a.d.? Abu dhabi? The championship was decided much earlier, I don’t get it.

  24. As a Max fan, can’t you accept he has his “reasons”?

  25. Apparently, it looks like some on reddit have posted a link regarding Perez asking Verstappen to give him a win in Mexico if the former was leading. This might have been the one that ignited the quote “my reasons”. Though it looks like not many are talking about it. I highly doubt it is about the Monaco incident even though telemetry has emerged of Perez’s really strange’s throttle application. Still, Perez asking the team, if this is true, to allow him to win is quite bothering.

    1. Wait, this could make more sense than monaco, but you said “if the former was leading”, the former is perez, you mean he asked verstappen to not attack him in case he had been in the lead?

      1. which would be similar to a radio message “Max, don’t fight Checo”

        And again, IF (big IF) that remote rumor (first time I read about it here) was true, wouldn’t that be the equivalent help that Max got from Checo in Abu last year? how it is OK to help Max win last year but not OK for Max to help PER win in Mexico?

      2. @esploratore1 I tried to backtrack on reddit but I can’t find the link. I remember even a journalist was mentioned. I do remember it was about Perez asking to be given a win in Mexico. But this also is weird since Perez stated that he did not want any help at all in Mexico.

    2. Considering that Max has asked Perez to help him on multiple occasions, plus that Perez has allowed Max through even when he didn’t have the pace to pass on merit, this would still not be a valid reason to me.

      IMHO Max needs to decide which side of the fence he’s on. If he’s happy to benefit from team orders, he needs to obey them. If he’s not happy to obey them, he needs to stop his team using them to his advantage. It’s that simple.

  26. If he can’t explains his actions publicly then clearly he has something he wants to hide or not share because it will make him look even worse. Our attitude towards him is validated solely because of this. Done.

    1. So you are fine with death threats.
      Welcome, you now have passed your test into the community of keyboard creeps.

      1. Do you have that on copy & paste?

        Nobody is saying what you’re accusing them of saying. Grow up.

        1. Thank you for confirming you were already a respected member of the community.

          1. Nobody has condoned death threats or abuse. Many have spoken out directly or indirectly against them. However, that’s not going to stop people discussing the incident itself and that’s a different matter.

      2. I didn’t say that and don’t condone that. Also this “community” I’ve been a part of since 6/14/2011. How about you?

    2. @rpiian It’s a double-edged sword. Verstappen claims people are judging him without knowing the facts, then won’t explain what those facts are.

      1. Absolutely, I thought the same reading the article: don’t want people to judge you without knowing the situation? Explain it!

      2. Precisely.

  27. Max reasoning stays internally cause the reasons are too embarrassing for people to know

    1. Yes, looks like that tbh.

    2. The only things i could logically come up with is this; The reason Max gave internally is a combination of things in Monaco (on and off track) which would look like an attack on Perez of explained (aka, makes all parties look bad especially these days with people popping off at a grain of sand).

      Or (more likely) it has to with Mexico and Max telling the team he is not giving Perez “petty-points” with what he feels is a car which should easily be No.2 already. With people and the media blowing it way out of proportion.

  28. Welcome to the Liberty Media and Netflix vision of F1.

    They create and spread division and many of the newer fans they have attracted are not fans of the sport or the wider world of motor sport.

    They are fans of whatever driver the local media is pushing or whatever driver or team looks good with the Netflix narrative.

    This i think is why the F1 fanbase has become as divided, divisive and toxic since 2018.

    1. It just happens that people have access to a ton of information now and that they haven’t before and social media gave them the voice to express their feelings.

      Schumacher was booed at Austria 2002 and people had inumerous opinions about that, it was the talk of the day on a lot of forums of the time, but since they had no way to let the media, or the driver himself, be aware of it, it became restricted to that little environment only.

      Now it’s relevant enough even to be subject of some complaints, like these.

    2. Yes, there are more people, and yes, social media is the worst. But Max and Red Bull have done virtually all of this to themselves. That’s the most confounding thing about this situation. They are a marketing company, after all. You can’t blame the things that came from their mouths on Liberty or Netflix.

    3. Ironically, with the exception of Verstappen, all the drivers seem to get on with each better now than in any time in the past.

  29. max who? Just ignore the child.

  30. For those of us that have worked for a long time, we know that there are some employees that are difficult to get along with, but for the good of the company, we work it out to get the best results. Max needs to learn this. Even if Perez did something awful, the team was asking for the position, not Perez. It just so happens that the final result the team can achieve this season happens to include Perez.

    1. The problem I have with this is: what awful thing can perez have done? How comes we haven’t been able to spot this awful thing, if verstappen is so annoyed about it?

      1. And that awful think should’ve happened during the race weekend in Brazil otherwise to react like that to anything prior that weekend is ridiculous.
        A professional driver who makes millions of dollars a year with a child mentality who holds grudges for things that occurred 6 months and 2 won championships ago… it is concerning and his mental health should be checked.

        I am disappointed in RB for taking the blame of not discussing the situation PRIOR to the race, I seriously doubt that all the scenarios where Checo helped Max were discussed with both drivers before the races. So I don’t believe a single word from Horner.

        I am not surprised how Max is now playing the victim, while I do not condone violence physical or virtual, to seek respect while posting hatred comments towards Checo’s family / wife is the act of a true hypocrite and senseless insincere similar to those “You Tube apologies” after damage is done.

  31. Who to believe? The whole non-saga becomes more and more unedifying.
    Threats on social media are real low-life zone. Who does that?! But mixing up these despicable remarks with valid criticism as ‘disgusting’ as Verstappen seems to do isn’t going to garner much sympathy. Even if he thinks those criticisms of his refusal to cede the position to Perez are misplaced, it’s up to him to explain why. Yet he doesn’t: he’s still implying some mysterious ‘reasons’ from earlier in the season. Verstappen gets paid huge amounts because of fan interest in Formula 1. And that means what he says and does on and off track gets reported and discussed. He’s the one who blurted out an excuse on live radio.
    Unhappy times at Red Bull despite double championship wins – and bad publicity all round after their cost cap breaking too.

    1. Bad publicity is exactly what they deserve for not divulging the reasons for his actions.

  32. Everyone at Milton Keynes has become so keen on gaslighting recently that I’m wondering if RBPT have bought Pratt and Whitney.
    (nb to all the young fanboys out there: check out your early 70s F1 history)

  33. Two things:

    Firstly Verstappen constantly pouting at the camera and blaming everyone but himself for his troubles is not an image of a tough competent competitor more a petulant bully.

    He must understand that for someone in the public eye such as he is, every twitch and tantrum will effect his fans, and that some of them will go – indeed already have – too far in imitating his priggish style, his ‘no compromise, and move or we crash’ style’. No-one can dismiss the likely influence of his behaviour on the actions of his ‘orange army’ – from the smoke obscuring the action, to assaults on females spectators, to trashing parts of a circuit.

    He is trashing his own reputation and that of RedBull while his family and supporters are damaging Perez as part of their defence. Not a good move in a team under pressure as every F1 team is under pressure all the time. Not a good look for F1 as they dish the dirt accusing team mates of cheating personally and professionally.

    The unintended consequences are always the worst and most disastrous. Open the “professional fouls” Pandora’s box and everyone suffers.

  34. Soap Opera of F1

    Spoiled child, backbiting momma, not following rules or not getting along, everybody is to blame, blah, blah, blah…

    – – –

    Those old days were the best, thanks to Jim Clark.

  35. The picture with the article, the comments pfff. The whole thing is just…well what can I say…beyond repair I’m afraid.

  36. Hey, you’ve got to give Max credit for having a contract that lets HIM set the rules!
    No “Team Rules” at Red Bull, here it is “Max Rules”.

  37. Am I reading it wrong or red bull ended up apologising to verstappen for asking him to let perez pass??

    1. @esploratore1 Right, though I think ‘grovelling to Verstappen’ is possibly more accurate.

  38. Bizzare that he’d keep digging this hole he created.

    The impression is, that the Mercs with two very good drivers are back and Max is spooked.

    Probably miles away from the truth, but that’s the impression

    1. That’s a good point @banbrorace The fact Red Bull and Max were soundly beaten not by one but two Mercedes drivers who look just as good as each other must have had an impact. If anything the ‘Perez scandal’ (in Max’s head space) shows that his pampered ego is a lot more fragile than he likes to pretend. Although he’s always declaring himself chilled and unbothered, he has something of a habit of suggesting otherwise, stuff gets to him and apparently lurks in those sullen silences of his for long periods afterwards before being blurted out again. Perhaps why he needs so much team coddling.

  39. It’s weird how Max says we don’t know the full picture, but adds nothing at all that makes it clear his reason is he just doesn’t want to be a team player.

    “I always put the team up front because at the end of the day it is a team effort”

    No Max, you don’t.

    Ridiculous.

    Anyway, social media threats are terrible, he’s clearly hoping here to garner sympathy, but it still shouldn’t happen.

    1. He’s not interested in our sympathy.
      As a races he knows that some will adore you and others will loathe you, this is attached to the job description.
      When you are an average procession racer, nobody bothers, but when you race with your elbows out, it is different.
      He’s fully aware of that, and does not show any interest in social media because of that.
      You may dislike him for that, but he’s only interested in the welfare of his family and dear friends.
      He’s still best friends with the friends from his childhood, he has not changed a bit.
      The bond between him and his sister is very strong, he knows that she had to make a lot of sacrifices for his career.
      So when the hate mail is addressed to her, he explodes.
      I praise him for that, because in the end family and friends matter most, not the creeps with the curtains closed behind the kinky keyboards.
      Furthermore I hope he continues to press charges against the creeps spreading the hate and the ones facilitating it.

      1. Gotta say i felt really embarassed reading this.

        You better be a close friend of his, his sister or his girlfriend.

        Otherwise, yikes.

      2. And yet, when he and his team accused Hamilton of attempted murder and Max’s own fans were hurling abuse and death threats at Lewis and his family, Max was completely silent on the matter… Another example of “I don’t care what happens to anyone else, but if it’s me or mine I’ll get upset”.

      3. To Erase Hate:
        Where is this coming from: the “He’s not interested in social media”, or “not interested in what others said”, or “he only wants to drive”? These are baseless and not supported by any evidence at all. All his reactions (pouts, moans, boycotts etc) have derived from social media sources. As to “he hasn’t changed a bit”. That’s not true either, is it? He’s changed to be so sensitive and self-righteous that no criticism should be accepted, not even by CH. “Apologise or I head-butt you attitude” prevails. Are you saying he was like this since childhood? People of average intelligence develop and mature. Not changing a bit sound worrying. Are you saying he is not developing? Since when?

        Furthermore, Erase Hate, you hope Max pressed charges to those who hurl abuse on social media. With such deep love that you attested exist within the family, are you suggesting there is a possibility he pressed charges on his own mother?Was his condemnation about social media abuse includes that of his own mother’s in which she attacked his team-mate? Did he apologise to Checo?

  40. Put the shovel down Max! I agree that the overreaction has been absurd but nothing else he said is helpful in any way.

  41. Literally a prima donna. What a pathetic little man.

  42. Thin skinned trash. 2*

  43. Petulant child.

    He always has been though. Not sure why anyone is surprised.

    Threatening to “headbut/punch” people asking questions he doesn’t like/not getting the result he wants and physicality with Ocon.

    But then, with the class act of Jos Verstappen bringing you up, you probably don’t have the best footing.

  44. Lord, what a toxic person this fella is – and his family appear to be worse. Incredibly.
    He could not be more pathetic if he tried.
    Despicable.

  45. LOOK OVER THERE!

    See, nobody is mentioning AD ’21 and the FIA.

    1. See, nobody is mentioning AD ’21 and the FIA.

      Do we need to schedule a regular mention of his two * status?
      2021 – a gift from a good friend, who lost his job because of the gift.
      2022 – an expensive purchase by his team.

      and 2023 – with no reduction in legal budget but a reduction in aero-test resource, the available budget can be diverted into making the chassis lighter.

  46. Why would anyone care about what Verstappen’s mother posted?

    1. Because she has a reputation as been a very good and nice person – kind of responsible for Max’s caring side.

      This spat, casts a cloud over that. So maybe she’s nearly as bad as his Dad – so then we understand why Max often feels so self-righteous.

      1. @banbrorace

        We all make mistakes. It is a post that she quickly deleted, which means that she regretted posting.
        But even if she is the epitome of evil, still I do not get why people care about what she does. She is just Max’s mother.

        Also why should we care if Max feels self-righteous?

        1. It’s Max’s “self-righteous” attitude, that has caused this storm.

          Perosnally, I couldn’t care less. I think it’s great. He’d got a psycological hold on everyone, was impressing with his brilliant drives – which more importantly had no incidents of overt aggression.

          That meant we had a new Max, worrying to us Hamilton fans as we remember Lewis been a bit of a tearaway and then he was like a new driver from 2012 and he was clearly better for it, i.e. he realised there was no need to be aggressive or have a ‘poor me’ attitude.

          Max has just blown that in one race. His lunge was bad enough. Then he decided to defend it. And then we’ve got his comments about his, er, ‘feelings’ to his team-mate.

          So yes!! It’s brilliant.

          He’s still the favourite next year though.

      2. Because she has a reputation as been a very good and nice person – kind of responsible for Max’s caring side.

        Looks like she didn’t put much effort into that, otherwise the caring side might have been bigger.
        As far as the world can see, the only thing Max cares about is Max, Max and Max

    2. Agreed. And also why would anyone care what Max’s reasons are. At the end of the day its nobody’s business expect Red Bulls. Everyone just needs to get over themselves. Unfortunately the ‘angry mob’, you know, the one that thinks it has the moral high ground, has jumped on this and is just using it as an excuse to whip up public hatred towards Max. Its a microcosm of what is happening in real life. “You are either a Max fan or you are on the good side of the moral compass, no in-between. Pitchforks and burning sticks being marched down the street. “COME ON EVERYBODY, LETS ALL HATE MAX TOGETHER” they cry. Despite the fact that he is not the first driver to ignore team orders, and he absolutely will not be the last (lets just see what happens at Aston Martin next season :D)

      1. It’s not just the fact he ignored team orders. It’s the fact he did so in a situation where there’s no significant cost to himself, and when his teammate has constantly been selflessly sacrificing his own race for Max’s benefit.

        1. so what? Clearly there are other things going on within the team, which are nobody’s business except theirs. and have now been sorted and everyone has moved on. Its time the fans did too.
          I have news for everyone, once that helmet is on, racing drivers only think about themselves, and that goes for every single one of them. Anybody that thinks otherwise must be pretty new to the sport.

      2. It’s a very interesting situation.

        Clearly Max isn’t as chilled out as we all thought. I certainly felt, that he has matured and that (like Hamilton from 2012 onwards) makes him an even better driver.

        Then he gets involved in a needless and totally avoidable spat, which if you were time stamping it – you’d think it was the 2018 version of Max (note I haven’t even mentioned the brain dead lunge!!)

        Maybe the Mercs looking competitive have rattled him. Maybe not. But it’s certainly worth discussing.

        1. Might be, I think it’s the terrible combination of a bad judgement call and the total unwillingness to say you’re sorry for something. It could have been a small incident, but the unapologetic attitude (at least in public) of Max got the better of him, and it exploded in his face.

          1. Yes, people don’t really like unyielding, especially when it comes to underwear in a relationship.

  47. Unacceptable for the media, paddock & pretty much everyone everywhere that I’ve seen on the matter to share the same opinion?

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