Ahead of the Brazilian GP, Max Verstappen has dismissed criticism of his driving style following a total of 20 seconds in penalties at the recent race in Mexico. The reigning world champion faced backlash from various members of the motorsport community, including Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, after his controversial performance last weekend.
In Mexico, the stewards handed Verstappen two 10-second penalties for different incidents that occurred on the same lap while he was engaged in a fierce battle with title contender Norris. The McLaren driver complained about the Dutchman’s driving, calling it “dangerous” and “not very clean.”
When asked if he might consider modifying his racing style, Verstappen replied, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before in my career. It’s my tenth year in Formula 1. I think I know what I’m doing.” The Red Bull driver insisted that his primary focus is on securing the best results in each race.
“I think it’s just you win some, you lose some. That’s how it is in racing in general. And yeah, I like to win. I don’t like to lose. I think not many people like to lose. And I think, yeah, we just try to maximize the result. And like I said, some you win, some you lose,” he emphasized.
The penalties were the result of two incidents: one in which Verstappen forced Norris off the track at Turn 4 and another where he gained an advantage by leaving the track at Turn 7, which left Norris with no choice but to run wide.
Verstappen also criticized FIA’s rulebook
Looking ahead, the FIA plans to consult with drivers regarding racing regulations to create clearer guidelines for stewards on how to handle racing incidents. Verstappen shared his thoughts on the current regulatory landscape, stating that there is no perfect solution and suggesting that the sport is currently over-regulated.
“Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they work against you,” he noted. “I think it’s never going to be perfect because even if you remove rules, then you get into a battle, then you want more rules because it’s not clear what is allowed or not. Then when you have too many rules, you want less rules. It just keeps on going left and right all the time. Do I think it’s overregulated? Probably yes. I mean, in general, the rulebook is only getting bigger and bigger every single year; I don’t think that’s always the right way forward,” he explained.