Dark
Light
Dark
Light
Villeneuve Spots a 'Depressed' Verstappen

Verstappen’s Crisis: Silence Speaks Volumes

18/09/2024

F1 experts, including Jacques Villeneuve, notice a stark change in a “very depressed” Max Verstappen’s demeanor.

Max Verstappen’s racing style and behavior have shifted due to decreased performance and internal management issues at Red Bull.

This is the assessment of several F1 analysts, including 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who noted that the three-time title winner appears “very depressed.”

“The usual aggressiveness, the desire to fight that we know about him is missing,” stated the Quebecer. “Even on the radio, we hardly hear him anymore. Something has changed.”

Villeneuve also finds it “very unusual” that Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, has suddenly bridged the significant performance gap between them and has consistently been faster in Baku.

Former World Champion and Villeneuve’s ex-teammate at Williams, Damon Hill, agrees.

“I don’t always agree with Jacques but often I find myself unable to disagree.”

“It’s almost as if Max is accepting it. I expected a much more outraged reaction, as he is not competitive. Normally, he says he will not accept if something is wrong. What does it mean if that’s true?”

Dutch former F1 driver and TV analyst Christijan Albers expressed uncertainty about Verstappen’s handling of the performance crisis.

“I don’t think the approach after qualifying and races is good. I understand everyone wants to see honesty, and Max is of course much younger, but what I always saw with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton was that they supported their teams more.”

David Coulthard also expressed surprise after this weekend in Singapore.

“Verstappen failed to perform properly in the last part of qualifying, which is very unusual for him. Mistakes in both fast laps? A time tied with Sergio Perez?”

“And we know he is fiery and has a lot of passion. When you win, everyone loves you. But when things go wrong, that raw passion re-emerges in Verstappen.”

“But this time, he showed no emotion. Nothing in the media, nothing on the radio. Perhaps he is accepting his fate while waiting for the upgrades in Austin?”

Villeneuve Spots a ‘Depressed’ Verstappen Villeneuve Spots a ‘Depressed’ Verstappen

Go toTop