Ever since Lando Norris emerged as a serious contender for the championship, Max Verstappen has returned to his ruthless driving style, which has divided opinions among experts. His aggressive approach saw him land on the wrong side of the racing rules in Mexico. The resultant penalties led to many urging him to change his driving style. Verstappen, however, is unwilling to listen.
Unsurprisingly, the Dutchman faced the question ahead of the Brazilian GP, which he looked prepared to tackle. Verstappen cited his 10-year experience in F1 and ruled out any possibility of changing the formula that has seen him bag three world championships.
“I have heard that so many times in my career. This is my tenth season in Formula 1. I think I know what I am doing,” Dutch reporter Erik Van Haren quoted him as saying on the media day.
Max on if he will change his way of racing this weekend after the backlash in Mexico
“I’ve heard that before in my career.. It’s my tenth year in Formula 1, I think I know what I am doing.”pic.twitter.com/hIbjfH8UWO
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) October 31, 2024
Verstappen got away with running Norris wide at the US GP. The Briton, who overtook the reigning champion after leaving the track, received a five-second time penalty on that occasion.
However, that trick did not work in Verstappen’s favor in Mexico. Things panned out similarly as Norris went wide off the track and overtook the Dutchman, who himself violated track limits as well.
Since Norris was ahead at the apex this time around, the stewards deemed his move legal while Verstappen’s violation saw him receive a 10-second time penalty. Verstappen received another 10-second penalty for the next move, which saw him take undue advantage by going off the track.
This overly aggressive driving style saw Verstappen receive heavy criticism. Among those was the former F1 driver and current Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle. “It saddens me when he drives like that,” said Brundle while discussing the repercussions on Verstappen’s multiple title-winning legacy.
FIA forced to rewrite the rules of engagement because of Verstappen
FIA is currently working to release a new document governing the driving regulations. Many believe Verstappen’s habit of pushing the limits to be the reason behind the change.
While the new regulations are expected to come into force from the 2024 Qatar GP, demands for amendments from the drivers could lead to postponement until the start of the 2025 season. Verstappen is known not only to be well aware of the current rules but also to know how to push them to the limits.
While that keeps him within the stipulations, the spirit of the rules is often left diluted. That requires the ruling body to leave no room for gray areas in the regulations.
Surprisingly, the opponents are catching up with the Dutchman’s wily tricks and tackling him head-on. Norris’ overtake in Brazil after learning his lesson in Texas is an example of that.
The Briton pushed hard before reaching the turn to make sure he was ahead at the apex. That turned the tables on Verstappen, who stood stationary in his pit box for 20 seconds to serve his penalty.
