Verstappen's Radio Rants: Pushing Red Bull's Limits?

Max Verstappen’s blunt radio messages challenge Red Bull Racing’s team dynamics and public image.

Max Verstappen is known for his forthright radio communications, but recently, the tone has escalated towards his team, with remarks that sometimes seem quite hurtful to the engineers at Red Bull Racing and rather detrimental to the team’s overall image.

Is it still Red Bull Racing or Team Verstappen? Who is at the helm? How are these remarks perceived by the team?

Paul Monaghan, Chief Engineer at Red Bull Racing, responds.

“Perhaps Max sets the bar very high for himself and for us. Last year and in this year’s races, he has reached a level that others have yet to match. So, if he feels that we are not reaching his high standards, we can expect such comments.”

“I don’t really have a strong opinion on how he presents things to us, whether the tone is pleasant or unpleasant. Consider it as if he feels we are not making the most of ourselves as a team.”

“If he said nothing, would it push us to do something different? Maybe, maybe not. But by making these comments, perhaps view them as constructive criticism rather than a tirade or something of that sort.”

“So yes… he wants the best for himself, he is quite a significant figure in this team, and he probably has the largest platform to express himself publicly.”

“So whether he has thick skin or not, it doesn’t particularly bother me. We just need to take what he says as constructive criticism, not as a personal insult, and move on.”

“The way he presents it doesn’t particularly bother me. I’ve had drivers who have criticized me in the past. I recall a certain Spaniard throwing a chair at me once. He was a bit angry with me, probably with good reason.”

“Max is fighting for his side, he wants the best for himself, he wants the best for us.”