Max Verstappen Agrees with Adrian Newey’s Media Bias Comment

Max Verstappen Agrees with Adrian Newey's Media Bias Comment

Adrian Newey dropped an appearance recently on the High-Performance Podcast and explained why Max Verstappen’s media persona is very different from how the Dutchman is in real life. The 65-year-old explained that much like Sebastian Vettel, the 26-year-old was “demonized” by media outlets in the United Kingdom.

Newey went on to specifically talk about how organizations like Sky Sports had a global audience but their coverage tended to be more nationalistic. During the Azerbaijan GP weekend, Verstappen was asked to give his response to Newey’s comments.

The #1 driver was in agreement with Newey but also seemed to understand why there was a “British Bias” in Sky’s coverage. He was quoted on X (formerly Twitter) as saying,

“Absolutely. I agree 100%. [I] see it like this: if 85% of the media is Dutch, then you secretly always have a bias for a Dutchman doing better than everybody else. And in terms of discussions you will always defend your countryman instead of others.”

Verstappen has spoken out against this apparent British bias in F1 in the past. Most notably, the Dutchman and Red Bull had boycotted Sky Sports in 2022, after Verstappen was left unamused by Ted Kravitz’s constant comments about his 2021 championship triumph.

He explained back then, “This year, it’s been a constant. It’s kind of like being disrespected daily, especially by one particular person. And it’s enough, I don’t accept it.” 

Verstappen won his maiden title that year after denying Lewis Hamilton a historic eighth title at the season-finale in Abu Dhabi in pretty controversial circumstances. Former race director Michael Massi had come under immense fire for his late-race Safety Car call that helped the Dutchman pass Hamilton on the final lap to win his maiden title.

That being said, Verstappen remains unfazed by what is said about him in the media. “Ultimately all that matters is I do well on track. They can say and shout whatever they want, it doesn’t matter,” he concluded.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Adrian Newey Max Verstappen

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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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