McLaren boss faults Verstappen for 'arrogance' and over the top agression
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown has blasted Max Verstappen for arrogant and overly aggressive on track behaviour.
“He can be a bruiser, too aggressive on track. His arrogance comes out."- Zak Brown
Photo: RacePictures.
Verstappen's racing approach has been a matter of discussion since he debuted in F1 in 2015. Branded for being too uncompromising in his wheel-to-wheel battles at times, the Dutch driver has found himself to be in the spotlight for his on-the-limit - and sometimes over-the-limit - manoeuvres.
Speaking about the four-time world champion, McLaren CEO Brown, accused Verstappen of "arrogance" and of being a "bruiser" when battling with his competitors.
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“I don’t want to disparage Max…. He’s a four-time world champion,” Brown told the Telegraph.
“He can be a bruiser, too aggressive on track. His arrogance comes out.
“If you look at some of the greatest champions in Formula 1, they’ve had some arrogance about them. They get their elbows out."
Verstappen's 'crossed the line'
But ultimately, Brown is of the opinion that “Max has crossed the line on track at times.”
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When asked for an example, the American referenced his defensive move on his then title rival Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix.
As Hamilton poised himself for a pass for the lead on the outside of Verstappen into Turn 4, the Red Bull driver rolled off the brakes to be first at the apex, a move that had served him well in Imola and Barcelona that same year.
However, in Brazil Verstappen failed to keep his car on track, pushing Hamilton's Mercedes beyond the white lines as well.
“In Brazil against Lewis Hamilton over time. A handful of his passes on Lewis were overly aggressive.”
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Verstappen admits fault in controversial crash with Russell
Verstappen says the Spanish Grand Prix incident is his only major criticism of his season. After a Safety Car restart in Barcelona, George Russell tried to pass him at Turn 1; Verstappen went off track, was told to give the position back, then instigated contact with the British Mercedes driver, for which he was given a 10-second penalty that dropped him to P10. Read his full statement here.
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