Max Verstappen was once again terse during the press conference in Brazil. The Dutchman is tired of the ongoing criticism of his driving style, and therefore has no intention of changing anything for the race in São Paulo. Verstappen also has a message for his critics.
Even during the press conference on the Thursday preceding the Grand Prix weekend in São Paulo, Max Verstappen is not in a talkative mood. The Dutchman keeps his answers brief when the conversation turns to the course of his race in Mexico City. Verstappen encountered rival Lando Norris several times on the track during the Grand Prix a week earlier, and ultimately received two time penalties of ten seconds for his actions.
Will Verstappen change his driving style for the race in São Paulo? “It’s my tenth year, I’m not changing anything,” the Dutchman is clear. “Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I like to win, and I don’t like to lose. I just try to always maximize the result.
‘Some People Are Annoying’
Following the Mexican race, the Red Bull driver received a lot of criticism from analysts and former drivers, including Damon Hill, for his driving style. Max Verstappen has a clear message for these experts. “I don’t listen to these people. I’m a three-time world champion, I know what I’m doing.”
Verstappen further explains that he does listen to “people who are objective and close to me”. “And not to… well, I can’t swear again,” says the Dutchman. “Some people are really annoying. I know who they are and I don’t pay much attention to them.” Verstappen is then frequently asked who his closest advisors are, but the Dutchman refuses to answer.
Verstappen Defends Pérez
One question Verstappen is willing to answer is whether he feels alone in the fight for the world titles given the ongoing form slump of teammate Sergio Pérez since the Grand Prix of China. “Well, I think it’s been quite difficult for (Red Bull) since China,” Verstappen defends his teammate. “Other teams have caught up and improved their performance. Even for me, it’s hard to consistently make it to the podium. If we work on our car, it obviously also helps Checo.”
