Following his defiance of team directives at the Brazilian Grand Prix last Sunday, Max Verstappen on Thursday responded to press stories and online threats that he labelled “sickening” and “unacceptable.”
Max Verstappen Slams Nedia for “Sickening” Reports in Formula One
The 25-year-old Dutchman responded passionately to his detractors in a furious rejection of the narrative sparked by the Interlagos incidents, where he disobeyed team directives.
The two-time world champion was requested in Interlagos to let his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez past him, but he refused and delivered a sharp scolding over the team radio that stunned the Mexican driver and many close witnesses.
Adamant that media had miscast him and that he was a player with a close relationship to Perez, he also refused to give any explanation for his actions and continued to do so on Thursday.
I appeared extremely unflattering in the media following that race, but they didn’t have the full picture, “Vertappen remarked.
They don’t understand how I contribute to the team or what the team values in me, so to put me down in that way is absurd, to be honest.
“I’ve read a lot of disgusting things.”
Even worse, they began attacking my sister, my mother, my girlfriend, and my father, he continued.
“That needs to end immediately. If you don’t like me, that’s great, but please don’t target my family.
“I hope they realise what was happening one day because this behaviour is wrong.
“There are a tonne of people here, not just fans, to be honest. What a lot of people have been writing about me is absurd.
In order to achieve their first one-two finish in the drivers’ championship this year, Red Bull sought to give Perez an additional point to help him edge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc out of second place.
Verstappen’s antics in Brazil angered Perez, who said Verstappen had displayed his “real personality” there “.
According to some reports, Verstappen’s remark at Interlagos was in retaliation to claims that Perez purposefully wrecked during qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix in order to disadvantage the Dutchman.
Perez went on to win in Monaco, but on Thursday at the Yas Marina track, he said he hadn’t crashed on purpose.
The rumour is untrue, “said he. “That is all rumor-making and guesswork from the media out there.
“Everyone makes errors in Monaco or in qualifying in general, and I almost crashed into turn one. It’s not like it was planned out beforehand.