Verstappen tells critics to “f*** off” after Hungarian GP

Max Verstappen has told his critics to “f*** off” after the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, having been scathing of Red Bull’s race strategy plus external reaction to his clash with Lewis Hamilton.

The reigning F1 world champion continually vented his frustration at Red Bull’s strategy during the Hungaroring race and on the final stint he had dropped to fifth, but with fresher tyres attacked Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the Mercedes of Hamilton for the final podium spot.

Having got by Leclerc, Verstappen tangled with Hamilton at Turn 1 with eight laps to go, and dropped to fifth at the finish.

Speaking after the race, having felt McLaren was out of reach as it secured a 1-2 and that third place was his optimal result, Verstappen was pressed for a reaction to his critics saying he went too far in the race and disrespected his Red Bull squad over team radio.

He replied: “They can all fuck off.”

Verstappen, who is under investigation by the FIA stewards for his clash with Hamilton, also took aim at criticism for his part in the incident – having also come under fire colliding with Lando Norris at the Austrian GP last month.

“I got a lot of shit thrown at me in Austria with people saying moving under braking, blah blah blah,” he said. I am positioning my car on the initial movement and then I keep it straight.

“Today, under braking he just kept turning to the right and that is why I also locked up because I was going for the move, but I saw the car on the outside kept coming at me. Otherwise, we would’ve already crashed before. I had to stop the car so that is why I locked up.”

The Dutch driver explained his criticism of Red Bull’s strategy after the race and felt leaving him exposed to the undercut at each stop – losing a place to Hamilton in the first pitstops and then to Leclerc in the second – meant he was always “on the backfoot” and struggling to overtake.

“We didn’t have the pace to fight McLaren today but then I think we could have still had a P3,” he reflected.

“The wrong strategy calls put me on the backfoot where I constantly had to fight people, trying to overtake, and it didn’t work today.

“The track is really hot and as soon as you get close to cars the tyres overheat and basically all of the advantage that you have with the tyres is not working anymore.”