Aggression “a last resort” for Max Verstappen but “drivers are scared”
“It’s a trait that these drivers are prepared to step over the line, and he deserves credit for it."
Max Verstappen deserves credit, not criticism, for his driving style which has turned him into Formula 1’s four-time champion, it has been argued.
The Red Bull driver’s on-track tactics came under scrutiny last season after collisions with McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was putting pressure on his lead in the drivers’ standings.
Verstappen and Norris clashed in Austria and Mexico, testing their friendship, and raising eyebrows about the F1 champion’s driving.
“Race craft is possibly Verstappen’s weakness, only when it comes to head-to-head battles,” Lewis Larkam told the Crash F1 podcast.
“We saw a couple of collisions with Norris last season. We know he’s had big crashes with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 title fight.
“It is potentially his only weakness.
“Particularly with Hamilton, there seems to be a magnet. They always end up on the same piece of tarmac.”
Aggression 'a last resort' for Max Verstappen
But Connor McDonagh argued: “But for Verstappen it’s a last resort. In 2021, Mercedes had the faster car.
“In Saudi Arabia he had no chance of winning unless he drove like that. It was the same at Silverstone.
“You can say it’s a criticism, to some extent. If he gets a race ban, fair enough.
“But in Mexico it paid off. He is very calculated.
“He loses his head sometimes but it’s a minor thing. I feel like a lot of the drivers lose their heads, it does happen.
“I don’t think it’s fair to criticise him.
“Lewis can be aggressive, Senna, Schumacher…
“It’s a trait that these drivers are prepared to step over the line, and he deserves credit for it.
“He has shown time and time again that he’s the top dog in Formula 1. And people are scared by him!
“They are, that’s the reality. Norris, and even Hamilton is cautious against him.”
Lewis Larkam added: “He knows how to work it to his favour.
“Drivers are scared to overtake, to a certain extent.
“You can’t overtake Verstappen around the outside because he will cleverly ease you off the track.
“He loses his head sometimes, but he knows how to approach those racing dynamics.
“The only way you can really overtake Verstappen is to send it down the inside but that can cause a collision because he will close the door, as he’s entitled to do.”
