mobile app bar

“There is no bad blood there”: Max Verstappen does not hold any grudges against the FIA stewards despite having fiery altercations with them in 2021

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"Max knows the car through and through"– Max Verstappen's simulator teammate claims Red Bull star thinks like an engineer

Max Verstappen is adamant that he does not hold any grudges against the FIA stewards despite falling out with them in the 2021 F1 season. 

The 2021 season saw one of the closest battles in modern F1 history. Verstappen went toe to toe for the World Title with seven time Champion Lewis Hamilton. In the end, the Dutchman dethroned Hamilton, but it came after a year full of on and off track controversy.

Verstappen and Hamilton clashed with each other while racing on several occasions. It often led to the Red Bull driver being summoned by the stewards, and being handed penalties. Throughout the course of 2021, Verstappen received several warnings and penalties from Race Control for his actions.

This led to many people feeling that Verstappen fell out with the race officials. With the 2022 season fast approaching, fans wonder if the 24-year still feels any animosity towards the stewards.

Verstappen was clear with his response to those doubts. He insists that there’s absolutely no problem between them and that they always had a good relationship.

“Overall, I had a really good relationship with the stewards, even when I saw them,” said Verstappen. “There is no bad blood there.”

Also read: F1 Twitter lashes out at Red Bull chief for his comments on Valtteri Bottas

Max Verstappen feels that his relationship with the stewards can improve further

The most infamous incident in the 2021 was race director Michael Masi’s decision to allow lapped cars to pass the safety car before restarting the race ahead of the final lap. This presented Verstappen with a golden opportunity to overtake Hamilton, who was on older and harder tyres.

Masi’s decision making led to a massive meltdown between the Mercedes team and FIA with rumors of Hamilton retiring from F1 emerging. Many former drivers and millions of fans around the world seemed to be outraged by Masi’s verdict, and called for him to resign.

Verstappen on the other hand, recalls a similar incident at the Azerbaijan GP in 2021, that he feels people seem to overlook.

“There are always things, for example we are also looking at how we can improve as a team for next season,” the 2021 World Champion continued.

“It’s quite natural to look at everything. In Baku this year it was the same with Nikita Mazepin. For me, it was completely normal what happened.”

“Maybe people don’t remember it, but it has happened before. They have done it before.”

Also read: Helmut Marko believes Carlos Sainz could have had a great career at Red Bull if he hadn’t come across Max Verstappen

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

x-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

Share this article