Since the Singapore GP, fans are rallying together to celebrate the absence of Max Verstappen from the podium. After a dismal qualifying followed by a tough race, Verstappen finished P5 in Singapore, bringing his 10-race unbeaten streak to an end. Critics have been hard at work in trying to credit the RB19 for all of Verstappen’s success by claiming the car was built to suit only his needs. Meanwhile, many complain the Verstappen-Red Bull domination has made the sport boring. To all those criticizing the achievements of Max Verstappen, his father, Jos Verstappen, has something to say, as quoted by GP Blog (original report by Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport).
Red Bull’s top rivals have also quickly pointed out any discrepancies they see within the team. Toto Wolff formerly claimed the Milton Keynes-based team had created the RB19 and its predecessor to only suit their Dutch driver, which is why the team’s second driver often has a hard time keeping up with Verstappen.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton claimed the Verstappen-Red Bull dominion has led to the sport becoming boring for the fans, and the viewership is going down. The 7-time world champion is in favor of bringing in new regulations from the next season to make the field more evenly matched and the sport more enjoyable for the fans.
Jos Verstappen claims Max Verstappen will not slow down despite the criticism
Known for his strict demeanor, Jos Verstappen might be the primary reason behind the ruthless driving of his son, Max Verstappen. However, of late, the aggressive approach has attracted a lot of flak towards Verstappen Jr. as he pushes to win his third consecutive Driver’s Championship.
In response to the criticism, GP Blogs reports that the father says it is not his son’s prerogative to make the sport more fun for the fans and insists Max Verstappen will not slow down.
“He can’t slack off. He cannot just put a little less energy into it. He has to keep performing 100 percent at his ability.”
Addressing the claims about the car being built around his son, Verstappen Sr. said, “I think it’s all a little bit bulls**t.” He added his son has a knack for adapting to new things quickly, and if the latest car is more to his liking than Sergio Perez’s, “that’s just the way it is.”
After a dreary race weekend in Singapore, the Verstappens now look to Japan to get back to winning way and stamp their authority once again.
Japan GP can’t come soon enough for Verstappen
With the Singapore race in his rear-view mirror, Verstappen now sets his sights on the Japan GP. Heading to Suzuka, Red Bull, and Verstappen will have high hopes of returning to winning ways as the track layout perfectly suits the RB19. Not only will the team want to make a significant leap in the constructor’s championship after losing out on many points last week, but they will also look to reassert their dominance over the rest of the field.
Last time we came to Japan, Max Verstappen dominated to win by 27 seconds after a clinical overtake on leclerc at the start.
The timing of this race couldn’t be better, after a disappointing Singapore GP, Honda’s home GP to show everyone who is the face of F1. pic.twitter.com/nmYlfUdAsD
— メメット #JapanGP (@mehmetmsf1) September 19, 2023
Talking about their performance over the weekend, Verstappen believes his team was unlucky in Singapore, and they might have finished higher up if it weren’t for the Safety Car and the VSC. He says the timing of both these events was unfortunate, and it gave the other teams an edge over them. Assessing his car’s performance over the weekend, Verstappen claimed the car was much faster on Sunday, which will be a boost in confidence as the team looks forward to a better outing in Suzuka.
