Red Bull F1’s Adrian Newey praises Max Verstappen as ‘easy to work with’ and defends he was unfairly ‘stigmatized’ after incident in 2021 title fight with Lewis Hamilton did.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton shared a tense rivalry in the 2021 F1 season, with the two drivers clashing on numerous occasions.
Adrian Newey has praised his ease of working with Max Verstappen and has defended him against any suggestions that his driving style is ‘wild’.
“The great thing about Max is that he always knows what the car is capable of.
“His feedback is good. He knows very well what the tires are doing and how to manage them. I think his reputation of being wild is unfair.”
Adrian Newey believes Max Verstappen has been unfairly judged by some in his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.
One of the incidents highlighted by Adrian Newey was the controversial first-lap collision at the F1 British FP. Max Verstappen crashed out of the race and was taken to hospital for tests. Lewis Hamilton took a 10 second time penalty but still won.
“Maybe what he did last year in Brazil was a bit naughty. The Saudis were stupid. I think he was frustrated that Lewis didn’t pass him, but he shouldn’t have brake tested anyway. No,” Adrian Newey said of Max Verstappen.
“But to me Silverstone was a clear professional foul[by Hamilton]and people seem to have a dim memory of it. They put a stigma on the individual. It takes time to go away.”
“He’s very easy to work with and very open. Ask him something and he’ll always try.”
