Highlights:
- Max Verstappen claimed that after ignoring team rules in Brazil during the last weekend, he and his family have received threats and abuse online.
- Double Formula One world champion accused the media for making him look bad.
- At Interlagos, Verstappen refused to assist Mexican Perez by giving back a position while they were running sixth and seventh late in the race.
Max Verstappen, a two-time Formula One world champion, claimed that after violating team rules in Brazil last weekend, he and his family had received threats and abuse online. He also accused the media of maligning him. The Red Bull driver gave reporters the reassurance on Thursday that he was a team player and that he had a wonderful relationship with Mexican teammate Sergio Perez, but the critics were unaware of the full scenario.
He expressed confidence that they would eventually be aware of the specifics, but he still refused to provide them before the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. At Interlagos, Verstappen refused to assist Mexican Perez by giving back a place while they were running sixth and seventh late in the race. After winning his second championship in Japan last month, the 25-year-old Dutchman has nothing to lose or gain, whilst Perez is battling Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second position overall.
Red Bull, who won the constructors’ championship, has never had their drivers finish first and second in a season. Verstappen was instructed to let Perez to pass after the Mexican had done so previously as part of a failed chase for fifth. Verstappen stated on Thursday: “It wasn’t about the position…it was about something that happened earlier in the season,” prompting speculation that he was alluding to Sergio Perez’s victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, which he would not confirm.
“I already explained that in Mexico and the team understood and agreed. “We went to Brazil and I just thought we were just going to race and try to get the best possible result. We had a bit of a miscommunication on Saturday and Sunday, nothing had been said to me about a potential swap.”
Verstappen said the team should have known what his response would be when the matter was raised on the last lap, but everything had now been talked through and resolved. “After that race of course I looked very bad in the media,” he said. “But also they didn’t have the clear picture. To immediately put me down like that is pretty ridiculous. They don’t know how I work within the team and what the team appreciates about me. All the things that I’ve read are pretty disgusting. “Even more than that, they (social media) started attacking my family. “They were threatening my sister, my mum, my girlfriend, my dad. And for me that goes way too far. If you have a problem with me, that’s fine. But don’t go after my family because that is just unacceptable. “When your own sister writes to you that it’s getting way too much and you have to do something about it, I think that says enough,” he added. “And then it does get to me because you cannot attack my family.”
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When the issue was brought up on the final lap, Verstappen said the team should have expected his response, but everything had since been discussed and resolved. “After that race of course I looked very bad in the media,” he said. “But also they didn’t have the clear picture. To immediately put me down like that is pretty ridiculous. They don’t know how I work within the team and what the team appreciates about me. All the things that I’ve read are pretty disgusting.”
He further added, “Even more than that, they (social media) started attacking my family. They were threatening my sister, my mum, my girlfriend, my dad. And for me that goes way too far. If you have a problem with me, that’s fine. But don’t go after my family because that is just unacceptable.”
“When your own sister writes to you that it’s getting way too much and you have to do something about it, I think that says enough,” he added. “And then it does get to me because you cannot attack my family.”
In a statement, Red Bull mentioned the hate mail, death threats, and other abuse and demanded an end to it. Perez, who claimed on Sunday that Verstappen had shown “who he really is,” denied intentionally wrecking his car in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in May and claimed that the race was not brought up in the talks after Brazil.