Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer of Red Bull Racing, says it’s unfair to rate Max Verstappen as “wild” just by looking at his aggression on the track.
No one argues that Max Verstappen has an outstanding talent for driving F1 cars. However, throughout his F1 career, Verstappen’s aggressive racecraft has been repeatedly criticized by his rivals.
At last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen pushed Lewis Hamilton off the track, and at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix he was criticized by the Mercedes F1 for doing a brake test against Hamilton.
Adrian Newey also admits that Max Verstappen had some “naughty” or “stupid” moves, but said he was by far the best in his ability to get the most out of the car.
“The great thing about Max is that he always knows what the car can do. He gets in the car and always strangles it,” Adrian Newey told The Race.
“His feedback is great. He knows what the tires are doing and how they manage them. I think it’s unfair to rate him as wild. “
“Maybe his actions in Brazil last year were a bit naughty. Saudi Arabia was stupid. I think he was dissatisfied with Lewis not overtaking, but he shouldn’t have done a brake test yet.”
“But to me Silverstone is clearly a professional foul (by Hamilton) and people’s memories seem short. They brand individuals and it takes time for them to disappear.”
“He’s very easy to work with and very open. If you ask him to do something, he will always try.”
Adrian Newey compared Max Verstappen with former Red Bull champion Sebastian Vettel and explained the differences between the two approaches.
“Sebastian was very detailed in the post-session analysis,” explained Adrian Newey.
“The debrief has been going on for quite some time.
“Cebu stayed late into the night, looking at onboard videos, looking at data, talking to engineers. That worked for him, not criticism.”
“Max isn’t that extreme, it’s in the middle.”
“Daniel (Ricciardo) and Max are very similar in terms of feedback and approach to debriefing.”
“They focus on what they need to know. If you have any questions, sit down and elaborate. They’re happy. Very easy to handle.”
Category: Category: F1 / Red bull / Max Verstappen