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Max Verstappen criticised in driver briefing

Published on 22 Oct 2016 13:05
4
By: Fergal Walsh

Max Verstappen has reportedly been under heavy fire at the driver briefing in Austin due to his defensive tactics.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Romain Grosjean led the comments with further inputs made by Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

Raikkonen is reported to of spoken for three whole minutes regarding Verstappen's tactics, suggesting that the 2007 world champion has a major issue with Verstappen.

Drivers are pushing Race Director Charlie Whiting to introduce a rule which states that once a driver brakes he can't change his line to block or obstruct an attacking driver.

Nico Hulkenberg commented on the danger of Verstappen's style: “You sit all cosy at home on the couch. From the on-board camera, it looks as if there is space to pass left or right. Do you know how narrow the track is when you racing at 330 kph?”

“If you are already on the brakes and the guy moves into your lane there is nothing you can do. You end up crashing, or as Lewis did going down the escape road or you end up in the wall.”

“It cannot be that we only do something when there is a big accident,” he concluded.

F1 News Max Verstappen

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Replies (4)

Patentprutser

Posts: 333
It is clear that the wat Max drives is in every way different than the other drivers. I am a huge Verstappen fan just as I am of Alonso and was of Hakkinen. In those times actions like Max did were allowed. Max against Kimi on Francorchamps happende also between Schumi and Hakkinen. No one ever made any complains. Actions like Max on Hamilton are seen more often but because of the late braking of both, and both changing lane while braking, now it is an issue.
Formula 1 is dangerous and I agree that Max is sometimes on the limit, but these are drivers who choos to be in these F1 cars. Stop crying about Max because he is able to do things with a F1 car others aren't capable of. F1 had becoming much more interesting with Max and next year with Stoffel it will become even more interesting!
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- Oct 22 2016 - 16:57
Kevin

Posts: 4,955
The way he defends, is called blocking. He anticipates what the driver behind him is doing, and goes and move to the inside when the other driver is already committed to the move. The only thing Hamilton could do, was letting the brake go and run wide to prevent an accident. Same goes for other drivers who he used this tactic on, at earlier event. If that's how all other drivers would defend, it would be the end of racing and we could just have the podium ceremony after qualifying. No one would try and overtake another driver anymore.

You make your defending move before the braking zone, not in it.
- + 1
- Oct 22 2016 - 18:28
Patentprutser

Posts: 333
It seems a bullshit story. Grosjean and Burton are asked about it, and nothing seems true.
Someone has been telling stories.
- + 0
- Oct 22 2016 - 22:35
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Moves under braking were outlawed, so that bit is at least true. And Button did lead the proposal along with HamHam and Vettel.
  + 0
  
  Oct 23 2016 - 14:47