Max Verstappen says critics of Red Bull’s bad Singapore GP can ‘su*k on an egg’ after securing pole position at Suzuka

Max Verstappen was at his very best during the qualifying session of the Japanese GP.

Max Verstappen says critics of Red Bull’s bad Singapore GP can ‘su*k on an egg’ after securing pole position at Suzuka

Red Bull's Max Verstappen. (Via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen and the Red Bull F1 team came under a lot of criticism during the Singapore GP weekend. The RB19s were way off the pace compared to the front-runners and, for this, had to deal with incessant outside noise. However, the Red Bull team is back to its usual business during the ongoing Japanese GP weekend, and Verstappen has mercilessly bashed all the critics after securing pole position.

Verstappen came to Japan with his back against the wall for the first time during the 2023 F1 season. But since landing in the country, he has been giving it full beans in his RB19 and has looked in a class of his own. He dominated Friday’s practice and edged out the two McLarens during the closely contested qualifying session.

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He is immensely pleased with his efforts, and while discussing the criticism he and Red Bull received in Singapore, he told Autosport, “We had a bad weekend. Of course, then people start talking about ‘ah, it’s all because of the technical directives’. I think they can go suck on an egg.” Moreover, while sharing his thoughts on the Japanese GP quali outing, he added, “From my side, I was just very fired up to have a good weekend here and make sure that we were strong.”

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He added, “[Lambiase] told me a 1m28s would be nice, so I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to send it.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, but like, don’t shunt the car, right?’ I was like, ‘That’s not what I want to do. But I knew that there was still a little bit left in a few places. And that’s what I tried to tidy up, which worked out quite well.”

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Max Verstappen will be put under pressure during the Japanese GP

While Max Verstappen has not shied away from taking an indirect shot at Red Bull’s critics, he has a challenging task ahead of him during the 2023 Japanese GP. Verstappen has two pacey MCL60s starting in close quarters of him tomorrow, and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will try their best to get the jump on him going into Turn 1.

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

Moreover, even if Verstappen can keep hold of first place after the initial few tussles, the Suzuka track characteristics are such that it will offer the drivers several overtaking opportunities. The MCL60 has looked immensely competitive around the free-flowing track and is tipped by several people to match the RB19 pace during race-trim.

Last year, Max Verstappen was able to dominate all his rivals during the Japanese GP, but the story could turn out very differently this year. Red Bull and McLaren have proved pretty much neck and neck so far, and considering this, the upcoming race will be a nerve-wracking affair for the two in-form outfits.

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