Max Verstappen has been massively villainised by the F1 fans following his actions at the Brazil GP and the Dutchman does not want to explain the reason behind his decision.
Speaking in an interview with Viaplay, the Dutchman said that if he did explain the reasons, people still wouldn’t understand. “People just don’t generally understand what goes on behind the scenes over a whole season,” the 2-time champion claimed.
Since his refusal of the team’s orders at the Brazil GP, Verstappen has been tipped as a driver who is not a team player but he refuses to believe that.
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What happened at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix?
Verstappen had already won the driver’s title early in the Japanese Grand Prix. The Red Bull F1 team also took the Constructors’ title early in the season at the United States Grand Prix.
So, heading into the final stages of the season, there was only one target left for the team and that was to secure the P2 as well.
The Dutchman’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was in a close battle with Charles Leclerc to get a lead on his rival but Verstappen’s refusal to follow team orders saw him fail that mission.
Verstappen was asked to let Perez overtake him but the 25-year-old did not budge from his position and instead told his engineer on the radio, “I have already given my reasons.”
Perez, who helped his teammate claim his first title in the 2021 season, felt quite betrayed after the incident. The team, too, did not understand what had happened and a conversation later was held within the team to fix the situation.
Max Verstappen is a team player
During the interview, the newly crowned 2-time champion was asked whether F1 is an individual or team sport. Verstappen replied that it is a team sport, given that a lot of people are working in the garages and the factory.
Furthermore, there are two cars and the team wants to score as many points as possible with the cars.
Moreover, he explained that somehow people think he is not a team player whereas he is always open. He believes that he is very good with the engineers that work with him and they often strike the right balance which is later adopted by the other end of the garage.
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