Ralf Schumacher claims Max Verstappen races like a ‘street dog’ after Mexican GP clash
Ralf Schumacher has given his thoughts on Max Verstappen's aggressive driving style against Lando Norris at the Mexican GP.
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Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Ralf Schumacher (via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen‘s aggressive defense against Lando Norris in the Mexican GP has sparked discussion within the F1 community. For the second straight Sunday, Verstappen and Norris clashed in a heated battle, but this time, it was the former who came out on the losing end.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has come out in support of the Brit and criticized the Dutchman for intentionally pushing. He stood by Lando Norris after his tense battle with Verstappen.
It wasn’t the first time the Dutchman tried to push Norris off the track. A similar incident happened in Austin, where the Brit received a penalty for the same move. Fast forward seven days to the AHR circuit in Mexico, and they clashed again.
On lap 10, the 24-year-old attacked Max Verstappen around the outside of Turn 4 and came out on top. This time, with the apex in his favor, the three-time world champion was penalized for forcing him off track. He seemed to get under Verstappen’s skin, and many believe the Red Bull driver’s aggressive moves indicated a moment of frustration.
Ralf Schumacher strongly opposed Verstappen’s move, calling it intentional on his part. He compared the 27-year-old’s racing style to that of a “street dog,” highlighting how aggressive and ruthless he was on track.
That was purely intentional, Max is simply a street dog when it comes to racing. He’s taking full risks here and he can do that. He’s leading the World Championship.
Ralf Schumacher said, as reported by Sky Deutschland
With Verstappen leading the championship, he’s willing to take full risks to defend his position. Red Bull has already slipped to third in the constructors’ standings, and he is determined to prevent the same from happening to him in the drivers’ standings.
Ralf Schumacher shares his opinion on Max Verstappen’s 10-second-penalty at Mexican GP
Max Verstappen’s second penalty came from pushing Lando Norris off the track and gaining an unfair advantage. While he received a 10-second penalty for it, Ralf Schumacher felt that it was too harsh.
The German pointed out that when Norris did something similar in Austin, he only got a five-second penalty. However, Schumacher also admitted that Verstappen’s move in Mexico was rougher than what happened in Austin
In the second situation, there was contact in the fast corner. It was a bit too harsh from Max, but you have to discuss the fact that in Austin there were only five seconds for similar offences. But it was even harsher from Max.
Ralf Schumacher stated
The race ended with Verstappen in sixth place, which resulted in his lead over Norris going down to 47 points. His performance as well as Sergio Perez’s P17 finish led the team to lose its second position in the constructors’ standings to Ferrari.
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Gaurang Kadam
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