MAX VERSTAPPEN CRITICISM IS LUDICROUS BUT THE RED BULL F1 STAR IS WRONG ABOUT ONE THING

Who knew we would be spending so much time talking about a Formula 1 driver’s bedtime?

Last week’s Hungary race provided plenty of storylines but the one the paddock has really latched onto is the fact that Max Verstappen stayed up until 3am gaming the night before. He spent the whole race shouting at everyone and swearing with every other word, leading to criticism of his decision to stay up late.

Now, Verstappen was wrong to say in Belgium this week that it’s “normal” to behave how he did - his complaints were valid in themselves, but he took it way too far. But he is absolutely right to tell people that what he does the night before a race is none of their business.

Because of past behaviour, Verstappen is viewed by many as the petulant kid of the F1 grid. But he’s also a triple champion, 26 years old and more than capable of deciding how best to prepare for an event. Claims that he has been ‘banned’ from sim racing aren’t true and the fact Red Bull haven’t taken action shows they are comfortable with Max’s extra-curricular activities.

Christian Horner said he’s spoken with his driver this week, but that’s only because of the public criticism rather than out of any genuine concern. Verstappen wasn’t at his best in Hungary but won at Imola this year after driving a stint in a virtual 24-hour race the night before - and winning that too.

The difference between now and then is Red Bull no longer have the quickest cars on the grid. And, let’s be honest, that’s the real reason why Max is so grumpy at the moment.

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I’m happy to hear that Mattia Binotto will soon be back in the F1 paddock. He struggled as Ferrari team principal - it’s one of the hardest jobs in F1 - and during his tenure it became clear that he struggled with the management side.

But he is an excellent engineer and hiring him as chief technical officer rather than as TP could be an Audi masterstroke. Former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl is out, with Sauber still struggling to perform - they haven’t scored a single point all year.

Now Audi need to appoint a leader to work alongside Binotto and do the jobs he’s not suited to. Aston Martin’s Mike Krack has been linked but he told me yesterday that he’s staying put. Unless they get someone to steer the ship in the right direction, Audi’s project looks doomed to fail before it even begins.

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Michael Schumacher made his F1 debut with Jordan at the 1991 Spa race, called up because Bertrand Gachot had been arrested for spraying tear gas in a London cabbie’s face. He qualified seventh and rose to fifth on the first lap. His clutch failed and he didn’t finish, but a star had been born.

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The 2021 Spa race was the shortest in F1 history, called off after three laps - all of them behind the safety car - due to torrential rain.

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A year ago, Alpine sacked boss Otmar Szafnauer mid-way through the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. And they look set to axe his replacement Bruno Famin here as well with a new team principal expected to arrive.

2024-07-26T12:11:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd