F1 News: David Coulthard - "Max Verstappen Is The Elon Musk Of The Driving Force"

“I’m sure Red Bull are frustrated by things he says, but we love it.”

Describing Max Verstappen as “the Elon Musk” of the Formula 1 world, former Red Bull driver David Coulthard revealed how the Dutchman's "freedom of speech" makes him what he is but his frank approach may not be well received by the owners of the sport, Liberty Media.

Verstappen was candid with his approach to the Las Vegas GP, claiming that he felt like a clown during the opening ceremony. He also characterized the Vegas street circuit as "National League" in comparison to Monaco's "Champions League."

It wasn't until he claimed his 18th victory of the season on the Strip on Saturday that he softened his stance on the inaugural race to Coulthard in the post-race driver interview. 

On Channel 4's race coverage, when asked if Red Bull team boss Christian Horner would have told Verstappen to calm down his criticism, Coulthard affirmed and compared Verstappen's comments to Elon Musk's support for free speech. He said:

“I’m sure he would have that conversation, but Max is kind of the Elon Musk of the driving force, isn’t he? He believes in freedom of speech.

“Of course [F1 owners and Vegas race promoters Liberty Media] won’t like it. They’re just thinking about bottom-line investment in, they’re cold, hard business people at the end of the day, but one shoe doesn’t fit all and Max fits into that grumpy [section]. That’s who his character is. Be true to yourself.”

Jamie Chadwick, another commentator with Coulthard, supported Verstappen's negative view of the Las Vegas event, emphasising that the current World Champion is focused solely on the racing action. She added:

“He loves to race. He gets in that car, he just wants to win – he doesn’t care much for the rest of it. That’s his focus, he doesn’t worry about whatever else is going on.

“But a lot of people do care about that and I think that’s why a lot of eyeballs [are on] the sport this weekend. More people are watching it than ever, so I think we’ve got to look at the positives as well but we can see why he’s being the way he is.

“That’s Max and everything he does, it’s just him. You’ve got to respect that. He’s a three-time World Champion for a reason and I have a lot of admiration for what he does. He is himself at times.

“I’m sure Red Bull are frustrated by things he says, but we love it.”