Max Verstappen has been in the headlines since the Hungarian GP and for all the wrong reasons. The Dutchman was not happy with several radio messages from his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and did not filter his words when replying. The same has now led to F1 team bosses receiving an official directive over handling their drivers.
As reported by The Times, team bosses have been asked to inform their drivers to be mindful of their language. Drivers need to be cautious with their language and should refrain from using expletives when speaking on the radio.
Welcome back, mad Max! #Verstappen #F1 pic.twitter.com/PA5gnSbJjR
— F1 Radio Messages (@F1RadioMessages) July 21, 2024
In Hungary, an increasingly frustrated Verstappen lost all calm and went on a rant on the radio. Each radio message was met with a feisty response and multiple F-bombs from Verstappen, who ultimately also ended up colliding with Lewis Hamilton to finish P5.
Lap 35 saw the unleashing of ‘Mad Max’ as he struggled to turn his car, even with minus-five brake bias. The Dutchman went on the radio to say, “The thing just doesn’t f**king turn. It’s unbelievable”. Then, on Lap 40, Lambiase asked Verstappen to switch to Mode 9, but he replied that the mode was “sh*t.”
The following lap saw the 26-year-old lose his calm further as he went on the radio to complain about getting undercut by rivals, which “f**ked” his race. Despite being extremely harsh with his choice of words, Verstappen continues to defend himself, as he believes it is important to be able to criticize his team’s decisions.
Verstappen defends his Hungarian GP outburst
Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen defended his words from Hungary. He claimed there is no reason to change the way he interacts with Lambiase on the team radio.
According to ESPN, the three-time champion said that if people had a problem with his language, they should turn the volume down. He added that he thinks it is important to say what needs to be said in the moment.
“We are very open minded, very critical of each other, been working for us very well so I don’t expect that to change.”
Per Verstappen, it is crucial to be critical when the moment calls for it. Many people cannot take criticism anymore, and the Dutchman doesn’t want to become like them. Thus, he remains committed to being harsh when something doesn’t go according to their plan.
