Max Verstappen not letting Sergio Perez overtake him for the P6 position fuelled massive outrage against him on the internet. The Dutch race driver was called selfish for not allowing his teammate have the edge over Charles Leclerc for the P2 position in the 2022 standings.
It was also astonishing for the fans, as they agreed with Perez that he had helped Verstappen to win two consecutive world titles. Therefore, the consensus was that the 2022 world champion at least owed that much to his teammate.
The criticism also spiralled down to his family by the fans. The Verstappen family is often seen as ruthless and ego-centric. But was it justified? The Red Bull star claims it was not.
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Max Verstappen didn’t like his mother, and other family members dragged
After the race, many F1 fans talked about things against his family. Whenever Verstappen is in the frontline, most of the time, his father also gets some hate comments, but his mother and other family members were also targeted, which the 34 Grand Prix winner didn’t like.
“We talked after the race. In hindsight, we should have done that beforehand. A lot of the things I’ve read about me are disgusting. People didn’t know the facts. The messages my mother, sister, father and girlfriend have received are unacceptable,” said Verstappen, as per Erik van Haren.
Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, was targeted because of her alleged comments against Perez. Several fans highlighted that Kumpen allegedly accused Perez of cheating on his wife after his race win in Mexico. The fans found it distasteful and reacted angrily.
Sophie Kumpen,madre de Max Verstappen habla!! 👀
La ex-piloto de carreras, declara la infidelidad del mexicano de la parrilla, Checo Perez. ¿Pero cómo podría ella saberlo?
El drama continúa, ¿La guerra entre los red bulls solo comienza?#MaxVerstappen #checoperez #f1#redbull pic.twitter.com/sAjF1tYA6J
— Val (@Vai_f1) November 14, 2022
🚨 Red Bull Racing statement:#F1 #AbuDhabiGP #Autosport pic.twitter.com/I8i0skWo8x
— Autosport (@autosport) November 17, 2022
What’s the way ahead for the Red Bull duo
With the season’s final race, Leclerc and Perez are levels on points. Therefore, the Mexican race driver must finish above the Ferrari star in Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull has never secured a P1-2 in the F1 championship before. So, the team would require Verstappen to aid Perez as much as possible. Probably that’s what has been discussed as Perez, ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, has claimed that everything around the Brazil incident has been resolved.
Even the Milton Keynes outfit has claimed that Verstappen will assist Perez in Abu Dhabi. It remains to be seen whether that happens, as the final race is about the runner-up spot.
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