Ex-F1 champion slams Max Verstappen for ‘DIRTY’ Austin Sprint race move on Charles Leclerc, claims it should have been investigated

Max Verstappen made a few agressive moves during his US GP Sprint and main race outings.

Ex-F1 champion slams Max Verstappen for ‘DIRTY’ Austin Sprint race move on Charles Leclerc, claims it should have been investigated

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

The 2023 United States Grand Prix weekend has become a thing of the past, with Max Verstappen securing victories in both the Sprint and the main race. While Verstappen ran a brilliant 56-lap race, former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is not too impressed with his ‘dirty’ move on Charles Leclerc during the Sprint event.

Verstappen and Leclerc started their Sprint outing from P1 and P2 on the grid, and as the lights went out, the former jumped to the inside to close the door on Leclerc. Moreover, while doing so, Verstappen almost ran the Monegasque driver out of the track going into Turn 1.

YouTube video

Leclerc was pushed off the track, it’s too much. It wasn’t necessary. I don’t understand why the first lap should be evaluated differently, a dirty maneuver or pushing a car to the limits of the track are things that should be investigated.

Jacques Villeneuve said, as reported by Formula Passion.

Looking at the reaction of the former champion, it is quite clear that he is highly frustrated with the Dutchman’s move.

FS Video
At the start you may see more than one driver braking a little too late, but these things can happen. You can turn a blind eye to aggression, but not when someone pushes another driver off the track.

Max Verstappen secured his 15th win of the 2023 F1 season in Austin

While Jacques Villeneuve has left no stone unturned in telling people of his frustrations with Max Verstappen, the latter had a stupendous outing during the three-day US GP weekend. Moreover, a few more stars were added to his list of accolades during the main race for the way he made his way up on the grid starting from P6.

Red Bull (Credits: Planet F1)
Max Verstappen (Credits: Planet F1)

With the 26-year-old’s latest triumph, he has taken his tally of Grand Prix wins to a brilliant 15 this year. There are still four races remaining on the calendar, and considering how mighty he has proven to be in his RB19, not many would dare to bet against him to win the remaining races.

Several pundits tip Max Verstappen as the man to break Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher‘s joint F1 title record, and with the way he’s been handling his business since 2021, he is on the right path. Verstappen is currently the hottest property at the pinnacle of motor racing.

In case you missed it: