Former Champion Shares ‘Interesting Rewind’ Using Max Verstappen as an Example of Faulty Stewarding in F1

Max Verstappen is arguably the most aggressive driver in Formula One right now. The Red Bull driver leaves no stone unturned when chasing another driver and defends with all his might when attacked. But sometimes, while defending his position on the track, he pushes the limit a bit too far.

Recently, he came met a lot of criticism for his defensive techniques during the latter half of the 2021 season. But in a throwback video shared on social media, fans can see Verstappen complaining about Rosberg‘s defending in Germany 2016.

The then Mercedes driver got a 5-second penalty for his defending. But when Max defended in the same manner at Sao Paulo Grand Prix 2021 against Hamilton, he was let go by the stewards.

Former world champion Damon Hill also noticed this and gave his opinion on the clip.

“This is an interesting rewind #f1,” wrote Hill.

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I think we know exactly what we can or cannot do in a car: Max Verstappen

As reported by Formula1.com, the Red Bull driver defended himself after the race, calling it a fair defense and hard racing. He also pointed out that he knows what to do in the car and does not need to be told by anyone.

“I didn’t need to look at the footage because I was driving the car, so I know exactly what happened. And like I said last time out, I thought it was a great battle, and I had a lot of fun as well out there.

At the end of the day, they won the race, fair enough. They were faster than us. But I thought it was a good battle,” said Verstappen.

“Yes. As a driver, I think we know exactly what we can or cannot do in a car, and we were fighting hard, braking late into the corner. The tires were quite worn. If I would have turned more abrupt to the left, you’d just spin off the track,” said Max.

Although the incidents might look similar, the decisions by the stewards should have been consistent. Verstappen’s driving style has always been too aggressive, but this reason cannot be an excuse for him. Hopefully, fans will see some consistency with decisions made by the stewards in the 2022 season.

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