Max Verstappen continued his FIA protest post the Singapore GP with short answers in press conference, and holds another one in the motorhome.
Red Bull’s Verstappen continued his protest against the FIA after the Singapore GP ended. He chose few words to speak in the official press conference, giving up a line or two as his answers when asked about the grand prix and the F1 title fight.
He had a lonely race in second, finishing a long way off Lando Norris and long away ahead of Oscar Piastri. He didn’t have much to do and so a lot of the questions directed was regarding the overall F1 title picture and how they are to handle it.
The fastest lap from Daniel Ricciardo has ensured that Verstappen will not lose the F1 title if there is no DNF and if Norris wins every race, where the Dutchman is second. He once again held a mini press conference in the Red Bull motorhome post the official one.
There he spoke at length about the silly situation he has found himself in, where he feels that the rule book is such that even the stewards can’t do much. He doesn’t have any issue per say with the FIA and or Formula One Management.
But these things will only fast-track his mindset to leave the sport, which he is anyhow planning to once his mind is up from it. As of now, he hasn’t thought about if he will continue this protest in Austin as well, but he is happy to do so.
Press conference –
Max, let’s come to you now. Compared to last year, this has been a much better weekend for you and Red Bull. Just what positives do you take from this second place?
Verstappen: “Compared to the start of the weekend, we improved quite nicely. I think that’s been great for us as a team. On a track that we know we’re not performing normally the best. I’m happy with second today.”
And the race itself in terms of on track battles was a quiet one for you. So can we talk a little bit more about car performance during the Grand Prix? When was it? When was it at its best?
Verstappen: “I would say the end the last few laps. I think it was feeling a little bit better. But yeah, overall, quite a lonely race for me.”
And you joked in the cool down room that you thought Lando would lap you. Were you surprised by his pace today?
Verstappen: “Of course, that was a joke, but I’m not surprised. I mean, I think Lando drove a great race and he had a great weekend, that’s for sure.”
Alright, look, final one. Upgrades are coming on the RB20 in the coming races. How much of a step do you and the team need to take in order to keep Lando’s title charge at bay?
Verstappen: “We always want to do better and we’ll analyse a lot and hopefully we’ll come out stronger in Austin and from there onwards more.”
Lando, you set a pretty rapid fastest lap. That was only beaten at the end when Daniel Ricciardo made his late pit stop to deny you. What was your reaction when you heard that? Obviously, the relationship between Red Bull and RB there? And Max, your thoughts as well. GP came on the road and said it was your old pal helping you out.
Verstappen: “Yeah, I mean, everyone can decide when they want to do a fast slap or not. Yeah.”
Question to Max on the turnaround from Friday to Saturday. Do you feel that on Friday maybe you overdid it a little bit with the setup for the curbs and the bumps given that was the issue for Red Bull in previous years? And do you feel this is the biggest turnaround from Friday to Saturday this year and also with all the work going on back in Milton Keynes?
Verstappen: “It’s always difficult to say if it’s too much or not. It was a different direction. that maybe gives us some ideas for the future. It was a big turnaround, but biggest or I don’t know. It’s always difficult to say.”
Just to Lando and Max, are you both now expecting this championship to go to the wire to the final race?
Verstappen: “Yeah, time will tell, right? All right.”
Max, for the last six races, where do you think a Red Bull will struggle more and where will be more easy for you to fight for a podium?
Verstappen: “Probably street circuits we’ll struggle more, normal tracks a little bit less.”
Max, how pleased are you with the progress the team’s made from that low point in Monza? Obviously, at Azerbaijan there was a misstep, but here you’re right back up towards the front. I know it’s a big gap. So how much confidence does that give you going forward?
Verstappen: “Yeah, pretty pleased, but still a lot of work to do. We know that. Hopefully now we can really kickstart things.”
Given that progress today, Red Bull took another hit in the Constructors’. But do you still feel, Max, that it’s realistic to win the Constructors’? Or should the focus just be on the Drivers’ championship now?
Verstappen: “We focus on performance. If the car is quick, then naturally both championships are easier to get.”
Max, would you still prefer if we spoke to you outside of this room rather than inside this room?
Verstappen: “It’s been a long day, yeah.”
Outside press conference –
Mood with the situation –
Verstappen: “For me personally there’s no reason to give long answers when you get treated like that. I never felt that I had a bad relationship with them. Even this year, I did voluntary work with, like, junior stewards, I gave them half-an-hour interview, like all set up. So I tried to also help out and you know do they have little favours or whatever. I’m not a difficult person to say ‘no’, you know. ‘Okay, sure, you know, that’s what you guys like’, I like to help out, and then you get treated like that, and like, well. That’s just not how it works. So for me, it was quite straightforward. Because I know that I have to answer, but it doesn’t say how long you have to answer for.”
Rule exactly –
Verstappen: “I think it’s just the wording, the ruling that the sport is heading into for me personally, with these kinds of things. I know, of course you can’t insult people, that’s quite straightforward. I think no one really wants to do that. But, yeah, it’s all a bit too soft really, and to be honest, it’s silly, it’s super silly, what we’re dealing with.”
Not be yourself –
Verstappen: “For sure, if you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak at the end of the day. But that’s what no one wants, because then you become a robot, and then it’s not how we should be going about it in this sport. I think they are going wrong way with that. I’ll always be myself…I’ll not…because of that, change how I am in my life anyway. But also, how I am operating here.”
GPDA, drivers, community service –
Verstappen: “I mean, of course, I wrote in the GPDA chat…the ruling and everyone was almost laughing, you know, like, ‘what the hell is that’, basically. So, yes, it is a very, very silly. I mean, yes, I think Carlos got to find the track as well, right? I mean, what are we talking about? It’s a red flag, I think it’s quite safe. And he knows what he’s doing, and we’re not stupid. But yeah, these kind of things, when I saw it, even getting noted, I’m like, my god, what are we doing?
“These kind of things are just, for me, super silly, cars are coming in. He [Lewis] is not the one who is punished. At the moment, I am not thinking about that in my mind about the ruling, I am just focused on performance, what we are going to do in Austin and beyond, that’s what I am thinking about. Actually, I am not wasting my energy on it, because it is just silly.”
How long it will continue –
Verstappen: “I mean, let’s first take a break from it all. Also, at least two weeks. We will got again at in Austin and see where we at. As I said, I don’t know. I don’t mind doing this (sit-down media session). For me it works well. I think you should be able to show emotions – in a way that’s what racing is about…any sport. I mean anyone walking around on a pitch, if they get tackled or get pushed, or there’s someone not happy with something, or there’s a frustrating moment, or something that they get asked about, I think it’s quite normal that there can be a sort of reaction. I think, ‘well, all these latest additions – I just sit down.’ But I also don’t want to go too much into it because otherwise I might get called back up again.”
Own future due to this –
Verstappen: “Oh, for sure, yeah. These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself, or you have to deal with these kind of silly things. I think now I’m at stage of my career that you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring, of course, it’s great to have success and win races. But once you have accomplished all that, winning championships and races, and then you want to just have a good time as well. Of course, everyone is pushing to the limit. Everyone in this battle, even at the back of the grid. But if you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure.”
FIA will take the threat –
Verstappen: “I don’t know how serious they will take that kind of stuff, but for me, of course, at one point when it’s enough, it’s enough, and we’ll see. Like I said, racing will go on in Formula 1 also without me. It’s not a problem, but, also not a problem for me. It’s how it is.”
No swears in the race, tyres –
Verstappen: “There was not much going on for me to be honest. Only with the pit stop, that’s it. But after that, I just did my own race. It was just not a lot of people around me. Let’s just say, it wasn’t very lovely out there.”
Will you speak, someone trying to hold accountable, no talk of title but this –
Verstappen: “It is not just with the FIA or FOM, it is the whole how we operate. I don’t want to comment [if someone doing deliberately] because that is very difficult to judge. As for no on track talks, I mean, it is just because this weekend it happened, right. I just want to make sure that it doesn’t continue to be like that.”
Here’s Max Verstappen after qualifying
Here’s more on the fastest lap drama
Here’s Christian Horner on Daniel Ricciardo
Here’s how F1 Singapore GP panned out
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