Three-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen, currently leading the championship, has made it clear he has no intention of altering his communication style with his Red Bull team, despite facing criticism for his heated exchanges on the radio. Verstappen, known for his unwavering drive for success, addressed the controversy ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
During last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s frustration boiled over on the radio during a race where he ultimately finished fifth, marking his third consecutive race without a win. He responded to those who criticize his language by stating, “You know people that don’t like my language, then don’t listen in, turn the volume down, you know.” He emphasized that his vocal approach is part of his pursuit of excellence: “I’m very driven to success, I think I’ve proven that already, I always want to optimise stuff, now people can argue that he might not be so vocal on the radio but that’s their opinion.”
Verstappen’s intense focus on performance was evident throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he engaged in animated discussions with his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, regarding the team’s strategy. His frustration reached its peak following a collision with Lewis Hamilton. Despite the criticism, Verstappen maintains that this open and critical communication is key to their success. “We are very open-minded, very critical of each other, been working for us very well so I don’t expect that to change,” he said. “That’s our approach, I think it’s important you can be critical because in this world we are living now I feel anyway a lot of people can’t take criticism anymore like it used to be and I don’t want to end up like that.”
Verstappen acknowledged the unique nature of Formula One, where every word spoken on the track is broadcast to a global audience. He compared it to other sports where athletes may use strong language but without microphones capturing their every utterance. “Well that’s also a thing, in other sports people say things but they don’t have a mic attached to their mouths,” Verstappen said. “So in a way for the broadcast, you can argue that. I don’t care, I say what I want, but that’s our sport naturally. You communicate a lot with the pit wall, you have the opportunity to talk. “Maybe in other sports, you swear to yourself about stuff that you didn’t like, a teammate didn’t pass the ball, you call them whatever it is, there is no mic, just how our sport is I guess.”
Verstappen also addressed criticism surrounding his participation in a virtual sim race the night before the Hungarian Grand Prix. He dispelled rumors that his team had banned him from future sim racing events, stating, “I raced until 3 a.m., it’s not something new and for me, it’s something very important in my life. There are no other sim races coming up anyway so nobody has to worry about that,” he said. “I’ve won three world championships, I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do. I’m always very hard on myself with what is and isn’t allowed and, with all the experience I have in Formula 1, I think I know quite well what is best.”
Verstappen currently holds a commanding lead of 76 points in the championship standings, with 11 races remaining in the 24-race season.
