Max Verstappen clarifies ‘stay awake’ radio outburst during Italian GP
Max Verstappen explained the reason behind asking the Red Bull pit wall to stay awake during the Italian GP.
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Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
The 2024 Italian Grand Prix was a disappointing race for Red Bull and Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver finished in P6, while his rivals from McLaren secured podium finishes. Verstappen was clearly unhappy with his car’s performance, as shown by a tense radio exchange with his race engineer, where he told the team to wake up.
Max Verstappen was frustrated during the Italian GP, as he wasn’t happy with how his car was performing. He explained the onboard radio message demanding the team to be awake. Verstappen was referring to the issues with his car’s battery percentage. If the battery isn’t managed well, it can affect the car’s performance and that actually happened. The Dutchman wanted Red Bull to pay attention and make sure everything was optimized.
During that moment over the onboard radio, it was about my battery percentage.Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf
Verstappen asked over the radio if they could switch to a faster mode, and when the team responded that they could, he was annoyed. He believed the team should have already known to make this adjustment without him needing to ask. According to the reigning world champion, if they could have gone faster, he was frustrated that the car wasn’t performing as he wanted. He expected the team to be more proactive in making adjustments without needing his input.
I asked ‘Can't we go to a faster mode?’ and the answer was ‘Yes, we can’. Then I think, come on, we should be on top of that anyway.Max Verstappen added.
Max Verstappen admits he wasn’t racing against anyone at the Italian GP
Max Verstappen was frustrated because, even though he wasn’t racing against anyone, he believed that every second on the track still mattered. He claimed that the team should always be pushing the car to its limits and maximizing performance, in any case. He explained F1 is all about getting the most out of the car in every part of the race, whether fighting for position or not.
I know we weren't racing against anyone at that moment, but it's still an F1 race where you have to maximize everything.Max Verstappen stated.
Hence, Max Verstappen was disappointed with his team’s coordination during the Italian GP. He felt they weren’t proactive enough in maximizing his car’s speed and performance. Fans hope that the upcoming races will better suit the Red Bull car, allowing them to defend their Constructors’ title.
In case you missed it:
- Fred Vasseur gives BLUNT response over Lewis Hamilton not knowing ‘how to qualify’ anymore
- Max Verstappen confesses 2024 ‘F1 Championships are unrealistic’ following MEDIOCRE Italian Grand Prix
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)