Three-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen had an uneasy weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix as he came home P5, behind both McLarens, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. On top of that, he faces criticism over his aggressive radio rant toward his team and race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.
Max Verstappen cursed the team for putting him on a faulty strategy during the race before his race engineer, GP shut his ‘childish’ radio fight. Amid criticism over inappropriate conduct, Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion himself, urged Verstappen to gather himself and act like a world champion during tough moments.
Lewis Hamilton Urge Max Verstappen To Be A Team Player!
The Hungarian Grand Prix brought out the worst in defending champion Max Verstappen as he struggled to compete with rivals McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. After a disastrous qualifying session, Max endured an even worse race as he missed out on a podium finish. Moreover, Verstappen had multiple arguments with his race engineer over the turn 1 incident with Lando Norris and later a collision with Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps of the race. The Dutch driver irked GP’s nerve as the engineer blasted him for his childish radio fight. Not only that, Max was rude on the radio on multiple occasions as he cursed the team over problematic strategies. Obviously, Max Verstappen was subject to heavy criticism for his unhinged conduct.
Meanwhile, during the media day at Spa, Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, advised Max Verstappen to be a team player and not a leader. He urged the Dutchman to realize that Red Bull is his team and the people working in the organization are his teammates. He needs to work for them and with them amicably. “Just always remember you’re a team-mate with lots of people, and you have to act like a World Champion,” Hamilton said. When asked what qualities define a world champion’s conduct, Lewis said he cannot put together specific pointers. But one thing is certain: the way Verstappen conducted himself in Hungary is certainly not how world champions should behave. Having meltdowns on the radio is an act of disrespect towards the team. Notably, Lewis and Max also had a showdown at Budapest as the duo collided during closing laps. But FIA let both the cars off the hook, citing a racing incident.
Hamilton Surprised With FIA’s Verdict on Hungary’s Collision With Verstappen
Max Verstappen went airborne for a while after he touched Lewis Hamilton’s wing during the closing laps of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Max appeared to have locked up which restricted his move around the corner. However, FIA deemed it a racing incident and closed the investigation without dishing out penalties.
And Lewis Hamilton was left surprised by the decision. He had already moved on from the incident, but FIA’s ruling left him puzzled. Hamilton argued that his car was under control and that he had left enough space for Max Verstappen around the apex. But the Red Bull driver clearly locked up and caused the collision, which falls under a regulation violation.
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