Minardi Slams Verstappen for Radio Outburst

In a harsh critique, former F1 team boss Gian Carlo Minardi condemned Max Verstappen for his unprofessional conduct and reckless driving, particularly his incident with Lewis Hamilton.

Gian Carlo Minardi has sharply criticized Max Verstappen. The former F1 team boss believes that the Red Bull Racing driver should never have lost his composure over the team radio.

Moreover, the three-time world champion deserved a penalty for his move on Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, according to the 76-year-old Italian.

Red Bull started 2024 with three double wins in the first four races, but the championship team has since been overtaken by McLaren, with Mercedes and Ferrari also closing in significantly.

According to Minardi, these changes have led to Red Bull increasingly encountering problems. Not only is the car no longer fast enough, but the drivers are also experiencing a decline in form.

‘On one hand, there is a driver who is essentially absent,’ the former team boss refers on his own website to the disappointing performances of Sergio Pérez. ‘On the other hand, there is a very nervous Verstappen, who executed a highly dangerous maneuver that deserved exemplary punishment. In his battle with Hamilton, he committed a foul (not his first this year) that is unworthy of a three-time world champion,’ Minardi clearly places the blame on Verstappen.

Verstappen and Hamilton encountered each other multiple times on the track in Hungary. One action concluded without incident, but a later moment in the race involved contact that nearly cost Verstappen his race. However, the Italian is not done and the 76-year-old then further criticizes Verstappen.

“It’s particularly embarrassing to hear that team radio directed at his own team, which has provided him with an unbeatable car over the past three seasons. He holds a significant lead of 76 points over Norris, which he must maintain on the track. He cannot and should not allow himself to swear like that,” says Minardi.

In Hungary, McLaren did not make the best impression with the controversial team orders that awarded Oscar Piastri his first F1 victory.

The British team brought Lando Norris, who was in P2, in earlier for a fresh set of tires than race leader Piastri. Due to this decision, Norris managed to get ahead of his teammate.

However, the British team then asked him to let his younger teammate pass him. After several requests, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix finally complied.

The British team received a lot of criticism for this decision, but Minardi believes the team acted correctly.

“Thanks to a ‘questionable’ undercut, Norris overtook his teammate. But at that moment, he was protecting the team against attacks from Red Bull and Mercedes,”

the Italian repeats McLaren’s explanation. “From that moment, there was a lot of discussion among the teams and drivers, but in my opinion, the right decision was made. Norris gave the lead back to his teammate, who secured his first victory in F1. McLaren is primarily fighting for the constructors’ title, not so much for the drivers’ title,” Minardi concludes.