Max Verstappen is known for being a ruthless competitor on track and has encountered his fair share of controversies during the 2024 Formula 1 season.
The Dutchman did not have an easy run to a title this year after Red Bull suffered from problems and rivals caught up, with Lando Norris providing the main challenge to his fourth championship.
Norris and Verstappen were caught up in numerous incidents on track, notably at the Austrian Grand Prix when they made contact fighting for the lead of the race. Norris was forced to retire with damage, while Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty for his overly defensive moves.
The pair would have more on-track scuffles at the US and Mexican Grands Prix, with Verstappen being handed two 10-second time penalties in Mexico for forcing Norris off track.
Verstappen would later be criticised by George Russell after an incident during qualifying for the Qatar GP, whereby the Red Bull driver was handed a one-place grid penalty for driving excessively slowly. Verstappen capped off his controversial incidents in a first-lap tangle with Oscar Piastri at Abu Dhabi, which now puts the Dutchman just four super licence penalty points away from a one-race ban.
The aggressive driving style has led to a few critics of Verstappen but his father, Jos Verstappen, has explained how that impacts the four-time world champion when speaking to Formule1.nl.
Max Verstappen ‘only gets better’ from ‘unjust’ criticism says father
Verstappen’s driving in Austria reignited the debate over whether he has learned from his past conduct, namely during the 2021 title battle with Lewis Hamilton.
The Dutchman has accused the media of having ‘British bias’ when it comes to taking sides, however, Jos Verstappen believes the criticism only makes his son want to dominate even more on track.
“Max only gets better from unjust criticism, more tormented. That’s how it works. We also saw that in Brazil, for example. So let them do it,” said Verstappen.
“If you talk about his way of defending: other drivers understand. There was a world title at stake. And that McLaren occasionally disagreed that makes sense. That that rivalry is there, on and off the track, that is good for the sport.”
Liam Lawson has one ‘trait’ that enables him to deal with Max Verstappen
Verstappen will have his fifth teammate in the last nine years in 2025, after Red Bull decided to oust Sergio Perez from his position following a tough season for the Mexican.
Perez arguably cost Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship by not scoring the same amount of points, with him only scoring 43 points in 16 races.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Verstappen is one of the toughest teammates to go up against in F1, having outperformed every one since Daniel Ricciardo in 2019.
Lawson will need to learn from their mistakes to beat Verstappen, and Christian Horner thinks the 22-year-old will have the experience to be ready out of the box to perform.
Leave feedback about this