Red Bull: 'Difficult to police drivers like Verstappen'

According to sporting director of Red Bull Racing Jonathan Wheatley, it is difficult to "play policeman" with drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Drivers of their level raise the bar every weekend, Wheatley believes.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton had a titanic battle for the world title in Formula 1 in 2021. The fierce battle regularly pushed the boundaries of the rules and race director Michael Masi had the difficult task of punishing the drivers appropriately where necessary. According to Wheatley, it is only normal that something like this happens to top athletes.

In the Jack Threlfall Show Wheatley is asked if the aggressive style of Verstappen haunts him in his career. Wheatley does not think so and says that the Dutchman is a sportsman of the highest level.

"I think if you look at any elite sportsman, in any sport, they raise the bar, they challenge everyone around them. They make it a very difficult job to try to police them from time to time," says Wheatley. According to Wheatley, Verstappen and Hamilton are both pure drivers who always push the limits. As a true racing fan, the Briton therefore hopes that the battle between the two can continue in 2022.