Max Verstappen escalates ban row with Red Bull as F1 champ says ‘I don’t tell them what to do in their private time’
MAX VERSTAPPEN has told Red Bull to stay out of his personal life — and vowed to carry on late-night gaming.
Formula One star Verstappen also instructed his critics to “turn the volume down” if they do not like his furious swearing on the team radio.
The Dutch driver, 26, came under fire for staying up until 3am on his £10,000 racing simulator before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
On the real track the following day, he crashed into Brit rival Lewis Hamilton late on and was effing and blinding on his team radio throughout — before finishing in fifth place.
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko said after the race the team had put a ban on Verstappen’s virtual racing.
But three-time world champ Verstappen insisted yesterday ahead of this weekend’s Belgian GP: “We’ve talked about it. There are no new sim races coming up, so I said he doesn’t have to worry.
“I don’t have a ban. I don’t tell them what to do in their private time at the weekend. That also applies to me the other way around.
“Something is always invented. If you don’t win a race, you get blamed for being up until 3am but in Imola I won the race, while I was also doing sim racing.
“This is not something new. I’ve been doing this since 2015. So for me, this is not something that is any different in my preparation.
“I’ve won three world championships. I know what I can and what I cannot do.”
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Verstappen extended his winless run to three races, his longest since 2021.
That stat may explain his fruity language last weekend as he blasted the team’s “s**t strategy, said his race was “f****d” and also hit his steering wheel in qualifying.
And seven-time title-winner Hamilton said Verstappen did not conduct himself like a world champ after the race.
The Mercedes ace stressed: “As a team leader, as a team member, as a team-mate, you have to act like a world champion.”
He was asked if those comments from Verstappen portrayed that, to which Hamilton replied: “Not like it was last weekend.”
Verstappen said: “People that don’t like my language, then don’t listen in, turn the volume down.
“I’m very driven to success, I’ve proven that already, I always want to optimise stuff.
“People can argue that he might not be so vocal on the radio but that’s their opinion.
“My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time, to maybe also try to force that the second pit stop would have been a bit different, that’s how it goes.”
Meanwhile, Lando Norris has been feeling guilty team-mate Oscar Piastri’s maiden win in Hungary was overshadowed by his radio row.
The Brit, with one eye on the championship, ignored McLaren team orders to allow Piastri past on fresher tyres until just three laps to go.
He said: “The fact I kind of clouded over Oscar’s first race win is something I’ve not felt too proud about.”