With Red Bull dominance aside, Max Verstappen has seemingly taken up the responsibility of making the sport more entertaining. A talking point of the Belgian GP weekend was his constant back-and-forth with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. From angry rants to heartfelt apologies, and bizarre strategy brainstorms in the middle of the race, TP Christian Horner gives his hot take on what he calls an “old married couple.”
On Sunday, Verstappen and his race engineer were up to their usual shenanigans. When race leader Sergio Perez made a pit stop, Lambiase cautioned Verstappen to use his head. “Don’t forget Max, use your head please.” However, Verstappen insisted on knowing if he would be following his teammate’s strategy. He was given a firm reply in answer, “Max, please follow my instruction and trust it, thank you.”
Subsequently, when Verstappen was in the lead, he was criticized for using too much tire on the out lap, to which Verstappen remained silent. GP pointed out the tire deg, which made Verstappen joke, “I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training.”
Clearly, not in the mood for jokes, his race engineer replied, “No, not this time.”
Christian Horner breaks down Max Verstappen radio rants
After a dramatic couple of exchanges during the race, Christian Horner laughed about the dynamic duo. In a post-race interview, he drew parallels between GP and a Fast and the Furious actor. “GP is a bit of our Jason Statham. He’s a cool operator and he doesn’t take any messing about.”
Max Verstappen's season summed up in a radio message 😅 pic.twitter.com/GObqlQX44L
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) July 30, 2023
There isn’t any room for bad blood between the two, however, Horner joked some outside help won’t hurt. “There’s a great trust and respect between the two of them. And sometimes they’re like an old married couple, sometimes you think they need a bit of counseling.”
Regarding the free entertainment they’ve been providing, Horner sees nothing to worry about. “It’s engaging for you guys but they’ve been together since Max’s first race here, so they know each other extremely well.”
Radio shenanigans in Spa
On a cloudy Friday in Spa, Max Verstappen felt the pressure during his Qualifying session. A profanity-filled radio exchange followed, with the driver clearly unhappy with the situation he was put in.
🎥 | Clip of Max Verstappen apologising to GP on the radio following his Q2 outburst!#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/50cTcQ7GfJ
— XI Sports (@XISprts) July 28, 2023
“We should have just f****** pushed two laps in a row like I said.” A calm voice responded from the pit wall, “But you are through Max.” However, Verstappen was far from calm. “I don’t give a f*** mate if I’m through in P10. It’s just s*** execution.”
Although it did nothing to affect their relationship, Verstappen’s respect came in the form of an apology. As Horner stated, the two share a special relationship that has resulted in various victories and two championships. If it adds to the fun, then so be it.
