Jos Verstappen thinks the FIA should take a closer look at the Mercedes cars due to their tremendous straight-line speed advantage.
At last week’s Sao Paolo GP, Lewis Hamilton took an engine penalty after changing his Internal Combustion Engine. He started the race from 10th but breezed past his opponents to reach 3rd within just three laps. His son, Max Verstappen, did his best to hold the Briton off, but it was in vain.
Hamilton won the race in the end by a comfortable margin. The Mercedes car was blisteringly quick on that afternoon as they had a 30kmh advantage over Red Bull. This has led to lots of people questioning how the Silver Arrows gained such an advantage.
Christian Horner said that they need to understand where the straight line speed from the Mercedes is coming and that it is too early to say whether they will protest. #BrazilGP
— tami. (@Vetteleclerc) November 14, 2021
Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, was also a Formula 1 driver. The 49-year-old said he had never seen a team have this big of a speed advantage in his time in the sport.
“That is not wear and tear, as Mercedes claims. I don’t believe that.” said Verstappen.
“I am very curious about what they are doing at Mercedes. Such an enormous difference in speed from one race to another. I have never experienced that in my life.”
Jos Verstappen thinks Mercedes are doing something that is not allowed
Jos Verstappen is sure Mercedes are up to something that is worthy of an investigation. He spoke about the steering wheel issue Hamilton suggested and said he does not believe the seven-time world champion.
“I really think that the FIA should look into this, just like the rear wing. A steering wheel is there to make a turn to the left or to the right. Why should a steering wheel move from front to back?” he said.
“You can see from the footage that something is wrong.”
Some onboard footage of Lewis Hamilton’s steering wheel moving forward/backwards over the Brazil weekend prompted some theories about ‘DAS 2’. The world champion has explained what was going on… #F1 https://t.co/APJnX052y5
— Jon Noble (@NobleF1) November 19, 2021
“In Brazil, Hamilton gets something pressed into his hands by his trainer, and then he walks back to his car and dives into the cockpit. All in all, it is just weird. Max did not stand a chance. “It seems to me very strongly that they are doing something that is not allowed.” he went on.
Also read: It’s Toto Wolff vs Christian Horner in the latest round of sparring ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix
“I’m quite happy to lose, but it has to be done in a fair way. Of course, I fear Mercedes. Max sees it too, but he says, ‘The only thing I can do is drive as hard as possible.'”
Max Verstappen is currently 14 points ahead of Hamilton with two races to go after this week’s Qatar Grand Prix.
