Verstappen blows up in ‘childish’ radio tirade, F1 champ slammed for 3am act

Max Verstappen has blown up deluxe in a spicy radio exchange, with the world champ labelled “childish” as he came under fire.

Max Verstappen was fired up on radio at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen was handed a public rebuke by his own engineer when he blamed Red Bull’s strategy for finishing a frustrated fifth after surviving a collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The drivers’ championship leader and three-time world champion crashed into Hamilton on lap 63 of the 70-lap race on Monday morning (AEST).

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Verstappen, 26, then remonstrated on team radio and was told not to “be childish” by his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

The Dutch driver was summoned to the stewards office to explain his part in the accident, but no further action was taken by the officials.

Verstappen had ranted in a series of radio messages, many including profanities, about his car, strategy and the accident that most observers promptly said was his fault.

Verstappen fired up at his engineer, who quipped, “Well, that’s some gentle introduction”, in an apparent reference to the three-time champion pushing too hard on a new set of tyres.

“No mate, don’t give me that s*** now,” a prickly Verstappen fired back.

“You guys gave me this s*** strategy, OK? I’m trying to rescue what’s left.”

Watch Verstappen and Hamilton’s skirmish in the video above

Max Verstappen served up some spicy radio messages.

“It’s quite impressive how we managed to get undercut. It completely f***ed my race,” Verstappen said earlier.

When Verstappen blamed Hamilton for the collision, by moving in his ‘braking zone’, the normally mild-mannered engineer Lambiase replied angrily.

“I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max,” he said.

“We’ll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish.”

Verstappen defended his behaviour.

“I don’t know why people think that you can’t be vocal on a radio,” he said.

“This is a sport and if some people don’t like that — then stay home,” he added.

After being told some commentators believed he was being disrespectful in his radio messages, Verstappen said: “They can all f*** off.”

Viewers and commentators thought Verstappen had got out of the wrong side of the bed, or not enough sleep at all.

Sky Sports commentator David Croft quipped: “Max sounds like a man who could have had a better night’s sleep last night.”

Nico Rosberg, the 2016 world champion, criticised Verstappen for staying up until 3am the night before the race live streaming his simulator racing.

Rosberg said: “Lando, last night his bedtime was 11.05, wake up was 8.05. Breakfast was already set, like exactly what to eat. So hyper professional, which is nice to know.

“At the same time in contrast, we have Verstappen, who until 3am last night was sim racing.

“You know, that’s a bit disappointing. It just shows he’s too used to his ease of domination.”

Verstappen has gone three races without a win. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

There were a series of incidents involving Verstappen, all of which suggested he and Red Bull are struggling with the pressure as McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari close down their performance and points advantage.

Oscar Piastri won the race ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris with Hamilton finishing third, leaving Verstappen and Red Bull without a win in three races and with three wins in their last eight.

Verstappen, who was briefly airborne after crashing into Hamilton as he attempted to launch his car down the inside at Turn 1, was in defiant mood.

“I went for a move that was fully on, but when I was in the middle of the braking zone and already committed, he keeps warping right,” he said.

“If I hadn’t turned while braking straight, I would have made contact with him.”

Told of Verstappen’s explanation after the race, Hamilton smiled.

“Ultimately, I think he was much quicker,” the Brit said.

“I moved a little to defend and I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and then obviously couldn’t turn.

Hamilton and Verstappen collided, not for the first time in their careers. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

“So he came under a different trajectory and he clipped my wheel.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside.

“I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over so I think a racing incident.”

Verstappen’s advantage was trimmed to 76 by Norris.

His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished seventh after starting from 16th on the grid 24 hours after team boss Christian Horner had lambasted him for his fourth Q1 exit in seven qualifying sessions, adding “you can’t win a race on one leg”.

Verstappen finished fifth as Norris trimmed his lead in the drivers’ standings to 76 points.

McLaren’s 1-2 finish saw them reduce Red Bull’s advantage in the constructors’ championship to 51 points, while Ferrari are 67 points behind Red Bull.

Originally published as Verstappen blows up in ‘childish’ radio tirade, F1 champ slammed for 3am act