Max Verstappen, a Red Bull driver and three-time world champion, is open to allowing others to test the track limits using his formidable R19 Formula 1 car.
Verstappen is of the view that it is difficult for drivers to monitor the track limits at certain tracks and that pundits went overboard with the criticism.
“I will happily let anyone else drive my car, see if they can do better with track limits. Some tracks, yeah, just a lot of runoff, so naturally you are a bit…you find probably the limits a bit easier because we never really talk about track limits, for example, in Suzuka and that’s probably a bit more of an old-school track.”
Ever since the white line was set as the standard limit across all tracks by the FIA, it has become one of the big topics of discussion. The Austrian driver said owning to the new regulations, drivers were playing safe and not pushing these powerful machines to their limits.
“The latest kind of track standards, they have a thing to do with it and it’s a bit of a shame,” Verstappen said.
“I feel like with some of these new tracks that you’re more focused on a qualy lap to not go over a white line than actually finding the limit or just the pure enjoyment of pushing. It’s more like you’re looking at: ‘did I make it or not?’ Oh, yeah, I made it’.”
During the US Grand Prix qualifying, Verstappen earned a P3 spot on the grid but his final qualifying lap was deleted after he went a fraction wide on turn 19. Consequently, he started the race from P6.
max Verstappen booed
Having won the World Championship in Qatar earlier this month, Verstappen refused to lift the foot off the pedal at the US GP where he claimed an impressive fightback victory.
Verstappen managed to keep a charging Lewis Hamilton at bay to secure his 50th career win from sixth on the grid. However, the crowd in Austin was loudly booed when he took to the podium to receive the trophy.
Fans were heard chanting Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez’s name while Hamilton and Lando Norris were both met with applause.
