Victories always speak louder than words in F1, but in Austin, it was Max Verstappen’s mood that was deafening. “Grumpy,” was how Red Bull’s team consultant, Dr. Helmut Marko, described it.
But those familiar with the tenacious spirit of the Dutch maestro could read between the lines: it’s not just about winning for Max. It’s about dominating.
The Austin weekend was tumultuous. Drivers’ and constructors’ titles already firmly in hand, Verstappen lost his pole position due to a track limits violation. A spin in the ‘sprint shootout’ was followed by a redeeming sprint win. Come Sunday, despite grappling with brake problems, he surged from P6 to stand atop the podium. Yet, the American crowd responded with boos, to which Verstappen coolly replied, “In the end, I’m the one who takes the silverware home, so all fine by me.” And it was perfectly believeable, because he seems as comfortable with praise as he is with extra PR duties.
“Max was a bit grumpy all weekend,” 80-year-old Austrian smirked. “I think he had to do too many PR activities, and that is never his favourite thing to do.”
But that’s not the real story. Because behind the scenes, beamed to the world’s ears, tension brewed. Verstappen’s radio coms with his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, revealed familiar friction. After a series of chastisements from Verstappen, Lambiase cryptically said, “I’ll see you on Friday”. What that meant in reality is that GP was not just going to skip the champagne, but the critical post-race debrief too. “We had a lot to discuss,” Max said.
Probed about one particular rebuke towards Lambiase, Verstappen defended, “I said it nicely. At least I said please.” Dutch GP boss Jan Lammers weighed in, justifying Max’s irritation at being disturbed with information whilst braking, stating, “When you’re downshifting, it’s important that you hear the revs properly, especially if you’re having problems.”
In the midst of the speculation, Christian Horner, the team boss, stepped in to quell the rumours about Lambiase’s absence. “He just had to get back to England – he was rushing to catch his flight,” he clarified. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s father, Jos, offered his perspective, noting, “The feeling wasn’t there, so then you get things like this.”
But Marko’s insights about the excessive PR duties and erratic braking issues painted a picture of an imperious champion under pressure – even with everything apparently already won and done in 2023. Yet, he was quick to laud Verstappen’s resilience amid the bad mood: “He also couldn’t drive consistently… but he still managed not to make a single mistake. It is unbelievable that he kept such a strong-driving (Lewis) Hamilton behind in those circumstances.”
What the US GP weekend revealed was not a return to the worryingly tempestuous side of Verstappen that everyone thought had faded with his experience, success and maturity. No, this was the heart of a champion. One who isn’t content with mere victories but hungers for sheer dominance on the tracks. Good mood, bad mood, boos, records, car problems – and still victory at the end. The making of an F1 legend for the ages.
