Brazilian GP: F1 experts Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, weigh in on Max Verstappen’s driving style after his twin penalties in Mexico
He’s the three-time Formula 1 world champion with more talent in his “little finger” than most drivers will ever have, but Max Verstappen has been warned his risks tarnishing it all with his on-track actions.
Formula 1 expert Martin Brundle has warned world champion Max Verstappen risks tainting his legacy as one of the sport’s greatest ever talents with his aggressive driving tactics after a pair of controversial incidents at the Mexico Grand Prix.
As Verstappen prepares to renew his championship battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, former world champion Damon Hill said it was time for Red Bull to have “a conversation” with the Dutchman about his driving, adding the team had a responsibility to “contribute to the driver’s attitude”.
Verstappen copped two separate 10-second time penalties for his on-track tussles with his McLaren title rival, which cruelled the three-time world champion’s Mexico race.
Stewards penalised the Red Bull star for forcing Norris off the track and onto the grass and then again for gaining a lasting advantage by going off the track.
Verstappen finished the race in sixth place, allowing second-placed Norris to cut the margin in the championship race to 47 points.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described the double penalty as “very harsh” and said the sport was “in danger of flipping the overtaking laws upside down”.
Horner added the overtaking rules needed to “get back to basics” where the driver on the outside doesn’t “have priority”.
But former F1 driver turned commentator Brundle felt it was Verstappen who needed to change his style.
“I know that Max doesn’t care what anybody thinks, but it saddens me when he drives like that,” Brundle wrote in his column for the Sky Sports F1 website.
“He’s a multiple world champion, has more driving talent in his little finger than most of us ever had, but his legacy will be tainted by this sporting attitude and that’s a shame.”
In particular, Brundle assessed Verstappen’s dive down the inside on Norris at turn eight as a “shocking move” and one where the Dutchman was lucky to avoid a dangerous driving penalty.
“Verstappen, presumably feeling that Norris had passed him off the track, simply threw his car up the inside of the McLaren,” Brundle wrote.
“He must have known this could have instantly taken them both out of the race but Norris was ready for it.
“It was another 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage, but frankly it could easily have warranted a pit lane drive-through for dangerous driving.
“It was quite a shocking move which took them both way off the track.”
Hill agreed Verstappen’s driving needed to be reined in by the team.
The 1996 world champion said it appeared “Max was free to do whatever he likes” and the team needed to address his on-track actions.
“There’s never any attempt to publicly describe his driver in a way that other people would recognise it,” Hill said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“It is always a protective comment from Christian about Max. It almost appears as though Max is free to do whatever he likes.
“His team will never criticise the way he drives. And I think if you’re in a competition, that’s probably fine to do that publicly.
“But really, at some point, there has to be a conversation. It’s the responsibility of the team to also contribute to the driver’s attitude.
“I think Max, if he carries on like that, there will be long-term questions over whether or not it was wise for him to drive like that. He’s got so much talent, he’s got so much ability. He could always use that skill to defeat his opponents. It shouldn’t be a dodgems race.”
After a dominant start to the season when he won seven of the opening 10 races, Verstappen has now not tasted a victory since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
More Coverage
Bit of banter driving rivalry for Supercars championship
The Supercars championship is down to a race in two, teammates in fact, and for the man with an 180 point lead he is keeping the mood jovial, even joking about the one thing that would be disaster for his team during the Adelaide 500 this weekend.
X Games stunt superstar Sydney-bound for global motorsport event
Global Nitro Circus superstar, Travis Pastrana is heading to Sydney to compete in Australia’s inaugural Race of Champions and he’s bringing his five million Instagram followers along for the ride.