Formula One thread

**Sum Dixon-Ear** · 16-11-2022, 02:02

Originally Posted by Konan

From what i've read he still has a chip on his shoulder from when Perez ruined qualifying at Monaco for him.
I'm against team orders,but if one is being given I do think no driver should be above the team and has to follow these orders...

I think that if Perez did intentionally cause the red flag at Monaco then Max had every right to be monumentally upset with him. However.. given everything that has happened over the the last year or so, he should have known better than to act like a petulant child at Interlagos. It hurt Checo's chances of finishing 2nd in the driver's championship, it hurt and embarrassed the team and it certainly didn't help Max's public image whatsoever. It was niave, smacked of petty revenge and showed rather humiliating immaturity on his part.

I 'get' Max as a driver.. ruthless, blisteringly fast and technically gifted.. I see a lot of Michael and Ayrton in him. Many, however don't, they just see an on-track bully who thinks he can get away with anything he deems acceptable.. this has just entrenched that view in his critics.

He hasn't helped himself here at all. It could have been so different in Brazil.. all he had to do was make his feelings clear to Sergio and the team months ago and move on... let Checo through and the optics would have been so, so different.

Max really needs to take a long hard look in the mirror.. perhaps distance himself from Jos's advice a bit and basically just grow up... quickly.

**Konan** · 16-11-2022, 07:03

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Source: https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...ed-verstappen/

**Sum Dixon-Ear** · 16-11-2022, 12:01

Originally Posted by Konan

Source: https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...ed-verstappen/

It was a very strange incident to say the least.. for me the early, aggressive throttle input (well before the apex, let alone the point of exit from Portier corner) was not nearly enough to fuel speculation about Perez's motives. What stood out for me was that he made no viable effort to countersteer and save the spin.. it is in every racers instinct to automatically apply opposite lock in that instance... a handful of opposite lock in this case... but Checo did nothing. He just let the car spin in a seemingly relaxed and controlled manner with just enough momentum and force to back into the wall, cause minimal rear wing damage and block the circuit... ensuring a red flag and stopping the session.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the wisdom of allowing drivers who cause red flags in qualifying to keep their times, this is clearly open to abuse.. and appears to have been used nefariously on numerous occassions over the years.

To me, the only plausible reason for Max behaving like he did at Interlagos is that he has previously raised this issue with the team and Checo, and they were well aware of his feelings but he feels that nothing tangible was done about it. Perhaps Red Bull felt it best to try and sweep any admission of guilt by Perez under the carpet (which is entirely understandable given the circumstances).. or perhaps Checo has told Max to just get over it.. it's within the current rules etc and he is not the only driver to have exploited this 'loophole' in the rulebook.

Either way would explain Max's very public outburst and, indeed, his indignation and distaste towards what happened in Monte Carlo.

It has certainly put the issue of validating qualifying times when a driver has stopped the session at the forefront of discussion and this can only be a good thing. The FIA must take urgent action and change this daft rule immediately, it is far too open to exploitation.