Verstappen's Texas Tango: Brake Woes, Boos, and Victory F1 Drama
Oct.24 - Max Verstappen was "grumpy" throughout the US GP weekend, Red Bull's team consultant Dr Helmut Marko has admitted.
With the drivers' and constructors' titles all wrapped up with several races to run, Dutchman Verstappen lost pole position on Friday with a track limits violation.
He then spun in the 'sprint shootout' before cruising to an easy sprint win, but on Sunday struggled throughout the US GP in Austin with brake problems - even though he made his way from P6 on the grid to the top step of the podium.
He was then booed by the American fans.
"In the end, I'm the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me," Verstappen insisted.
But as he struggled with the car's handling earlier on Sunday, cracks in the relationship with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase emerged again.
Lambiase, having been chided by Max throughout the race, then told Verstappen on the radio "I'll see you on Friday" - as he skipped the podium proceedings and post-race debrief.
Asked to explain one angry outburst to Lambiase about not talking to him in braking zones, Verstappen hit back: "I said it nicely. At least I said please."
Dutch F1 GP boss Jan Lammers thinks Max was right to chastise his engineer.
"When you're downshifting, it's important that you hear the revs properly, especially if you're having problems," he told NOS.
Team boss Christian Horner, meanwhile, denied that Lambiase actually boycotted the podium and post-race debrief.
"He just had to get back to England - he was rushing to catch his flight," he insisted. "Normally it's Helmut, but now it's the engineer."
Verstappen's father Jos also played down the obvious irritation of his son.
"The feeling wasn't there, so then you get things like this," he told Viaplay.
Marko also defended Red Bull's triple world champion.
"Max was a bit grumpy all weekend," the 80-year-old Austrian smiled. "I think he had to do too many PR activities, and that is never his favourite thing to do.
"He also couldn't drive consistently, because when he braked he had to wait and see what was going to happen," Marko told De Telegraaf newspaper.
"That made it very difficult for Max, but he still managed not to make a single mistake. It is unbelievable that he kept such a strong-driving (Lewis) Hamilton behind in those circumstances."
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
In Maxes words, If your not first , your last........! Nice comment-"In the end, I'm the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me,
ask you english teacher about the difference between your and you're.
im sure you will pick it up quickly.
I would, but I was bullied at school and my dad had 8 jobs
I would have been tempted to inform Katie that the first letter of the first word in a sentence is always capitalised.
Yeah, but we all know that your a nitpicker. (see what I did there? I am hilarious.) lolol
Very true , True(Class) Post
Katie, Shrop' is proud that people understand only half of what he writes, and none of what he thinks. Plausible deniability is his northstar.
Exactly lol
Second Place is First Place for losers.
So is a long stint in Formula 2, a good place for rich losers.
Checho’s fan base should be booing him. His performance is not worth their support and embarrassment
It was gross and embarrassing. We were down on the track and couldn't believe the vitriol. Definitely Checo fans. If these idiots want him to keep the RB seat they sure aren't good at playing the game.
Do you notice how Max gets his wins, although not really feeling threatened by sir Lulu he raises his adrenalin rush by believing his brakes are playing up, or, is it the tyres, or is it the wind and all this info being fed to sir Lulu who's smelling blood for a win & then max is playing him hook line & sinker. Cooling room banter, Hamilton asks Max, "did you really have brake problems?? Max:sucker.
After reading your post, an image popped into my head: Willy Coyote. The Loony Tunes coyote that would scheme and plan and agonize in his vain attempts to snag that wretched Roadrunner, but kept getting his ass handed to him. Dame Lucille is that scrawny flea-bitten coyote, obsessed with capturing MadMax. In his mind, the next plan will always work, yet fails to realize that no matter how hard he tries, he is destined to fail. As the Young Frankenstien wails in his restless sleep:
Destiny
Destiny
No Escaping
That's For Me
OK, now we are supposed to feel sorry for the fastest combo on the track? Wait, let me wipe my eyes. smh