MAX VERSTAPPEN ACCUSED Formula One bosses of creating “artificial excitement” and ordered them to “scrap” the new sprint schedule.
The Red Bull driver was earlier heard calling George Russell a “dickhead” on live TV following an argument over their sprint-race collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
F1 has revamped the weekend format in Baku by introducing two qualifying sessions. One on Friday, which decided the order for Sunday’s Grand Prix, and a second shorter qualifying session to make up the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, which was won by Sergio Perez.
The sport’s chiefs believe the revamp will enliven a race weekend and appeal to their younger audience. Practice has been reduced from three hours to just one to make way for more on-track action.
Verstappen has already threatened to quit F1 if the sprint calendar – set at six events this season – is expanded.
And pressed for his assessment of the new format, the double world champion, who finished third on Saturday, said: “It is terrible. Just scrap the whole thing.
“It’s hectic. It’s not proper racing. It’s more like gambling. I will have more success in Las Vegas when I go to the casino.
“I like racing. I am a pure racer but this is more for the show.
Of course, it’s important to have entertainment but if all the cars are closer you create better entertainment. That’s what we have to try and aim for and not to implement this artificial excitement.
“It feels like a football match when one team is winning 3-0 and then suddenly you just reset it to 0-0. I find it unnecessary.”
The changes, which gained support from the grid’s 10 teams following a unanimous vote on Tuesday, will apply to the five other sprint rounds in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil this year. A regular grand prix weekend will remain as it is.
Verstappen, who holds a 13-point lead in the championship, continued: “I got bored in qualifying [on Saturday] to be honest. I like to have one qualifying where you put everything in it.
“I did that yesterday which I enjoyed and then we had to do it again today and I was like ‘my God another qualifying’. I just don’t enjoy that.”
Verstappen had earlier vented his anger at George Russell following an altercation on the opening lap which left him with a hole in the side of his Red Bull.
Verstappen confronted Russell immediately after the race and in full glare of the television cameras.
Russell, still with his crash helmet on, protested his innocence to the double world champion.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, mate,” he said. “I had no grip. I just locked up.”
Verstappen replied: “Mate, we all have no grip, we all need to leave a little bit of space.”
Russell started walking away from Verstappen before adding: “Watch the onboard (camera).”
Verstappen answered: “Yeah, sure. Well, expect next time the same… Dickhead.”
Verstappen had been in an agitated mood throughout Saturday’s 17-lap dash following the early altercation. He started third but had Russell for company at the first corner.
Verstappen kept ahead before Russell sensed his next opportunity at the second bend.
Russell then nudged Verstappen under braking before carrying the momentum through to turn three to move ahead of his Red Bull rival.
“He tapped me,” yelled Verstappen, who grazed the wall. “That’s how he got the position, report it.”
Moments later, the Red Bull driver was back on the radio. “Did he really drive into the side of me? I don’t get how he can damage my car and keep the position. I find it ridiculous,” he said.
A safety car – deployed when Yuki Tsunoda lost a tyre after he smashed into the wall – came in at the end of lap five and Verstappen made short work of taking third back from Russell when he flew underneath the Mercedes driver at turn one.
Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase congratulated his driver. “Without contact as well,” he said. “Nicely done.”
“Yes, I know how to do that,” replied Verstappen. A series of bleeped-out expletives followed.
Verstappen, who in the past has had numerous collisions with Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Hamilton, then carried his anger over to the post-race press conference.
“I did leave him (Russell) enough room,” said the Dutchman. “He got through the corner without hitting the inside barrier, but apparently it is hard not to hit a Red Bull car for them.” Them being Mercedes.
Damon Hill then accused Verstappen of being a “sore loser”.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the 1996 world champion sarcastically said: “We should just give Max Verstappen the championship and just not bother with anything else.
“Salty. Poor loser. It’s the same competition. He should be thinking about tomorrow and the championship and putting it behind him.”
Tellingly, the coming together between Verstappen and Russell was not investigated by the stewards.
“I’m here to fight, I’m here to win and I’m not just going to wave him by because he is Max Verstappen in a Red Bull,” said Russell.
“When he came over to me I thought he was coming to say ‘good battle, nice fight’. I was very surprised at how angry he was.
“From my side, his position was already lost. Ever since eight-year olds in go-karts, if you are on the inside at the apex of a corner then it’s your corner. If a driver is trying to resist a position on the outside they are taking a huge risk.
“On lap one, on a street circuit, I was really quite shocked that he was trying to hold the position.”
Verstappen’s championship lead was reduced from 15 points to 13 after team-mate Perez cruised past Leclerc on the eighth lap before cantering to the flag.
For Sunday’s 51-lap Grand Prix, Leclerc starts on pole position, with Verstappen alongside him on the front row.
Hamilton, who on Saturday started sixth and then dropped a position after he was passed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, starts fifth on the grid.
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Verstappen fumes at F1's sprint format and calls Russell a 'd***head' after collision
LAST UPDATE | 29 Apr 2023
MAX VERSTAPPEN ACCUSED Formula One bosses of creating “artificial excitement” and ordered them to “scrap” the new sprint schedule.
The Red Bull driver was earlier heard calling George Russell a “dickhead” on live TV following an argument over their sprint-race collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
F1 has revamped the weekend format in Baku by introducing two qualifying sessions. One on Friday, which decided the order for Sunday’s Grand Prix, and a second shorter qualifying session to make up the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, which was won by Sergio Perez.
The sport’s chiefs believe the revamp will enliven a race weekend and appeal to their younger audience. Practice has been reduced from three hours to just one to make way for more on-track action.
Verstappen has already threatened to quit F1 if the sprint calendar – set at six events this season – is expanded.
And pressed for his assessment of the new format, the double world champion, who finished third on Saturday, said: “It is terrible. Just scrap the whole thing.
“It’s hectic. It’s not proper racing. It’s more like gambling. I will have more success in Las Vegas when I go to the casino.
“I like racing. I am a pure racer but this is more for the show.
“It feels like a football match when one team is winning 3-0 and then suddenly you just reset it to 0-0. I find it unnecessary.”
The changes, which gained support from the grid’s 10 teams following a unanimous vote on Tuesday, will apply to the five other sprint rounds in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil this year. A regular grand prix weekend will remain as it is.
Verstappen, who holds a 13-point lead in the championship, continued: “I got bored in qualifying [on Saturday] to be honest. I like to have one qualifying where you put everything in it.
“I did that yesterday which I enjoyed and then we had to do it again today and I was like ‘my God another qualifying’. I just don’t enjoy that.”
Verstappen had earlier vented his anger at George Russell following an altercation on the opening lap which left him with a hole in the side of his Red Bull.
Verstappen confronted Russell immediately after the race and in full glare of the television cameras.
Russell, still with his crash helmet on, protested his innocence to the double world champion.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, mate,” he said. “I had no grip. I just locked up.”
Verstappen replied: “Mate, we all have no grip, we all need to leave a little bit of space.”
Russell started walking away from Verstappen before adding: “Watch the onboard (camera).”
Verstappen answered: “Yeah, sure. Well, expect next time the same… Dickhead.”
Verstappen had been in an agitated mood throughout Saturday’s 17-lap dash following the early altercation. He started third but had Russell for company at the first corner.
Verstappen kept ahead before Russell sensed his next opportunity at the second bend.
Russell then nudged Verstappen under braking before carrying the momentum through to turn three to move ahead of his Red Bull rival.
“He tapped me,” yelled Verstappen, who grazed the wall. “That’s how he got the position, report it.”
Moments later, the Red Bull driver was back on the radio. “Did he really drive into the side of me? I don’t get how he can damage my car and keep the position. I find it ridiculous,” he said.
A safety car – deployed when Yuki Tsunoda lost a tyre after he smashed into the wall – came in at the end of lap five and Verstappen made short work of taking third back from Russell when he flew underneath the Mercedes driver at turn one.
Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase congratulated his driver. “Without contact as well,” he said. “Nicely done.”
“Yes, I know how to do that,” replied Verstappen. A series of bleeped-out expletives followed.
Verstappen, who in the past has had numerous collisions with Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Hamilton, then carried his anger over to the post-race press conference.
“I did leave him (Russell) enough room,” said the Dutchman. “He got through the corner without hitting the inside barrier, but apparently it is hard not to hit a Red Bull car for them.” Them being Mercedes.
Damon Hill then accused Verstappen of being a “sore loser”.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the 1996 world champion sarcastically said: “We should just give Max Verstappen the championship and just not bother with anything else.
“Salty. Poor loser. It’s the same competition. He should be thinking about tomorrow and the championship and putting it behind him.”
Tellingly, the coming together between Verstappen and Russell was not investigated by the stewards.
“I’m here to fight, I’m here to win and I’m not just going to wave him by because he is Max Verstappen in a Red Bull,” said Russell.
“When he came over to me I thought he was coming to say ‘good battle, nice fight’. I was very surprised at how angry he was.
“From my side, his position was already lost. Ever since eight-year olds in go-karts, if you are on the inside at the apex of a corner then it’s your corner. If a driver is trying to resist a position on the outside they are taking a huge risk.
“On lap one, on a street circuit, I was really quite shocked that he was trying to hold the position.”
Verstappen’s championship lead was reduced from 15 points to 13 after team-mate Perez cruised past Leclerc on the eighth lap before cantering to the flag.
For Sunday’s 51-lap Grand Prix, Leclerc starts on pole position, with Verstappen alongside him on the front row.
Hamilton, who on Saturday started sixth and then dropped a position after he was passed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, starts fifth on the grid.
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Formula One Taking names