Verstappen once again under fire: It's okay to tone it down sometimes, Max!
Column
- Ludo van Denderen
Max Verstappen was in the spotlight during a sim race at Daytona's virtual circuit after an optimistic move. In doing so, he gave his critics another opportunity to spew their vitriol at him. It was all so unnecessary for a Formula One world champion.
When David Croft asked fans at a British motorsport event last weekend which F1 drivers they did not like, one person shouted loudly: Max Verstappen! The Sky Sports commentator then asked this man why not, to which the latter responded that Verstappen was too aggressive and disregarded his colleagues.
Should the fan have watched the sim race the Dutchman was competing in on Sunday, he would have confirmed what he thought of Verstappen. With a far too opportunistic manoeuvre going into the first corner (!) of the endurance race, he ensured that his race was effectively over before it had even properly started. Moreover, he tapped the race and championship leader off the track, giving Verstappen a major impact on the denouement of the title race.
What if Verstappen had been the victim?
In the end, Williams' car - which Verstappen sent off the track - still managed to clinch the championship after a driving catch-up race. But still. Imagine; Verstappen and Lando Norris are battling for the world title in the final Grand Prix of the season and right after the start of the race, Verstappen is sent off the tarmac by a Haas or Alpine driver. The Dutchman did something he would have been more than furious about if it had happened to him.
Fans of Verstappen, of course, say that this is just Max; someone who sees a gap and then goes for it. His critics see in an incident like Sunday's above all confirmation that Verstappen is what they think Verstappen is. Of course, Verstappen outright admitted after the race that he had made a mistake. To his credit, Verstappen is also someone who admits when he is wrong. And 'luckily' for him, the Williams still managed to win the title after a damage mitigation race.
But at times - in the virtual and the real world - Verstappen's behaviour may be toned down, especially knowing that he is not allowed to take more than three penalty points until halfway through the upcoming F1 season - otherwise he will get a one-race ban. Unnecessary incidents like this should never be allowed to determine how the Dutchman will soon go down in the history books.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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