Max Verstappen showed during the Mexican Grand Prix that he will not let Lando Norris win the Formula 1 world title without a fight, even though the Briton has a much better car at his disposal. At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Verstappen made sure that Norris ‘only’ lost ten points to him in the battle for the championship with two – questionable – actions, and according to his colleagues that is more than impressive.
Last week , the FIA announced that all F1 drivers agreed with each other: Max Verstappen had gone way too far in Mexico and deserved a heavy penalty. The fact that the rules will be adjusted, following the Dutchman’s actions, is also a good sign. But when the drivers report to the Viaplay camera in Brazil, a completely different feeling seems to have arisen in the paddock.
Several colleagues of Max Verstappen have expressed their support for the Red Bull driver and casually let it be known that they would most likely have done the same. In doing so, they show that they are on Verstappen’s side and that he is not alone in his way of driving, as FIA steward Johnny Herbert and Sky analyst Damon Hill suggested.
Drivers defend Verstappen
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen told Viaplay: “I think Max, who is leading the championship, should focus on his newest rival and make sure he gets that championship. And if I were him, I would do everything to bring it [the championship] home!”
Former teammate Alex Albon also felt that Verstappen’s actions simply belong in Formula 1 : “F1 has always pushed everything to the limit, whether it’s the cars or the driving. It’s not a clean sport, it’s not so much a gentleman’s sport I think, it’s not like golf!”
George Russell , who was previously critical of Verstappen, seems to have turned around a bit in Brazil: “I mean Max is a 3-time world champion, he knows what he’s doing. He’s a hard racer, he’s always been aggressive. And I think that’s great. If you go over the limit, you get punished. If you’re on the limit, you’re doing something great!”
Former arch-rival Esteban Ocon said a driver “has to do what he has to do” to win a title: “It’s not for me to judge, but I like a bit of a show. And I’ve raced against Max in the past, you have to do what you have to do to win.”
In addition to Albon, former teammate Pierre Gasly has also voiced his support for Verstappen: “Max won three points from that race, because Lando went on to win and all he did was potentially make him lose 2 positions. So mathematically it was the best performance he could have done there!”
Watch the interviews with Max’s colleagues below:
Ging Max te ver of reed hij gewoon slim? 🤔
Dit vinden een aantal andere coureurs van de acties van Max Verstappen in Mexico… 🗣ɢᴘ ᴠᴀɴ ʙʀᴀᴢɪʟɪᴇ̈ 🇧🇷↯
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📺 Vanaf 19.00 uur!#F1 #Formula1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/uGNXy9kVbS— Viaplay Sport Nederland (@viaplaysportnl) November 1, 2024
