“They Tried to Push Me Against the Wall”: Max Verstappen Comes Out Strongly Against His Pit Wall Move Controversy

“They Tried to Push Me Against the Wall”: Max Verstappen Comes Out Strongly Against His Pit Wall Move Controversy

The curtailed FP2 session at the Abu Dhabi wasn’t one without drama. Three-time champion Max Verstappen was in the middle of a pit-lane scuffle with Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly that led to a pretty strong statement against the duo that allegedly blocked him, per FormulaPassion.

In the aftermath of the incident, Verstappen said, “When exiting the pit lane they had to move. They were all going slowly and I had to go to the track because I had little time. They kept getting in the way and once I tried to pass they tried to push me against the wall, and that’s clearly not good.”

After two red flags arising out of incidents for Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg, the shortened FP2 session was resumed. Eager to get some track time under his belt, Verstappen tried overtaking Hamilton and Gasly on the pit exit.

However, the duo did not give way which eventually led to the Dutchman having to lift off to avoid contact with the walls at the pit-lane exit. The three-time champion was livid on his team radio after the incident.

That prompted David Croft to admonish Verstappen on live television. However, later on, the British broadcasting veteran changed his mind. Despite the drama, Verstappen has a clear objective set for himself for the weekend.

Max Verstappen is eyeing one last record for his 2023 season

At the end of FP2, both Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris seemingly had the edge over Max Verstappen in terms of out-and-out race pace. However, if the Dutchman can manage to win the 19th Grand Prix of his season, he will move past Sebastian Vettel on the all-time list for most victories.

With 53 wins apiece, both Verstappen and Vettel are currently third on the all-time list for most victories. When asked about the record, Verstappen said, “Of course, it’s quite a crazy number. We had a crazy, crazy year. It will end at one point, but hopefully not too soon.” 

After just one day of ‘racing‘ at the Abu Dhabi GP, it looks as though Verstappen and Red Bull’s stellar run of form might come to an abrupt end. With both Ferrari and McLaren looking strong, this could be the beginning of the end for Red Bull’s dominance with their rivals finally catching up.

According to the 26-year-old, the outcome of the race on Sunday wouldn’t bother them much. As things stand, though, the most interesting storyline is the battle for P2 between Ferrari and Mercedes with just four points separating them in the latter’s favor.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Charles Leclerc ferrari Lando Norris Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen McLaren Mercedes Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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