F1 News: Max Verstappen Comes Down Heavily On 'Extreme Accusations'

Saajan Jogia | Nov 1, 2024

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 27, 2024 in Spa, Belgium. / Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been making headlines lately, especially for his aggressive driving style in the United States and Mexican Grands Prix, for which he attracted severe criticism. However, the Dutchman thinks he wouldn't have been on the receiving end of "extreme accusations" from F1 pundits if it wasn't for his "wrong passport."

During last weekend's Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the three-time world champion was penalized twice with ten-second penalties for forcing his championship rival, Lando Norris, off the track in two separate incidents. While Red Bull described the penalties as overly harsh, the champion faced criticism from former F1 champion and Sky Sports F1 analyst Damon Hill, as well as from former driver and current FIA steward Johnny Herbert.

Hill openly questioned Verstappen's capacity for fair racing, while Herbert accused him of deliberately pushing Norris off at Turn 7 during the United States GP to undermine his chances of clinching the world title this season. This move, Herbert argued, ultimately cleared the way for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take the victory.

Verstappen has responded to the comments during the Brazilian Grand Prix press conference, allegedly citing a nationalistic angle to accusations aimed at him. He responded to the Dutch journalists on how he was targeted because he had the "wrong passport." He said:

"I know what most people are like, it's nothing new.

"Last year was perfect, so it must have hurt a lot for many people that they couldn't say anything negative.

"Now they've got the chance to say something, so they're all coming out of the woodwork. At the end of the day, I've got the wrong passport for this paddock."

Responding to Herbert's accusation of the Mexico City GP's second incident, he said:

"I didn't do anything on purpose. They can't look inside my head.

"It's a pretty extreme accusation. We just raced hard."

Speaking on the incident itself, and how Red Bull needs to improve the RB20 title contender to not "end up in that situation again," he said:

"You win some, you lose some.

 "It depends. Every situation is different and in hindsight, it's always easy to have another look at it.

"It happened, we just have to make sure we have a more competitive car so we don't end up in that situation again, because that's where it starts."

The Red Bull driver then addressed how he felt singled out for the swearing incident during a press conference, which resulted in a one-day community service penalty. However, when Charles Leclerc displayed similar behavior in Mexico, no penalty had been issued. Reports indicate that the FIA is expected to decide this weekend in Brazil whether further action is warranted. Verstappen said:

"[Herbert] had big opinions about what I said in the press conference [in Baku], but I didn't hear him after the press conference in Mexico.

"Actually, what [Leclerc] said is worse than what I said in its context, and it was a much more important press conference with more people watching. But you know, I'm not going to spend time on that. It is what it is."