Verstappen to Critics of His Radio Rants: ‘Turn the Volume Down

Max Verstappen advises those offended by his explicit radio outbursts to simply lower their volume

"For those who take issue with my choice of words, the solution is straightforward – don’t tune in or just reduce the volume."

Max Verstappen has firmly defended his heated exchanges over the F1 team radio during the Hungarian Grand Prix, advising detractors to simply not tune in or lower the volume.

Verstappen expressed his frustrations openly on the team radio during a challenging race at the Hungaroring.

The driver from the Netherlands experienced several uncomfortable interactions with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, resulting in Verstappen securing only a fifth-place finish in the race.

Sky Sports commentators Naomi Schiff and Martin Brundle have voiced criticism towards Verstappen for his behavior on the team radio.

As expected, Verstappen has responded to the critique.

Speaking in Belgium, as reported by Crash.net from the paddock, he mentioned: “For those who take issue with the way I speak, they have the option to simply not tune in or lower the volume. My commitment to achieving success is undeniable, a fact I believe my track record supports. I consistently strive for improvement. Now, there may be those who think I should communicate more over the radio, but that's merely their viewpoint."

In my view, it's important to express at the appropriate moment, perhaps even to influence a change in how the second pit stop was executed. That's just the way things happen.

"We maintain an open-minded and critical approach towards one another, which has proven effective for us, so I anticipate this dynamic will continue."

Verstappen is convinced that people globally are overly sensitive when it comes to accepting criticism, and he insists that his stance on this matter will remain unchanged.

He further added, "Our strategy emphasizes the importance of being critical. In today's society, it seems that many people have lost the ability to accept criticism as they once did, and I'm keen on ensuring we don't follow that path."

Formula 1 stands out by showcasing the interactions between drivers and their teams, a feature not commonly found in most other sports.

Verstappen maintains he will keep speaking his mind.

"He elaborated, noting that in various other sports, athletes do make comments, but they aren't equipped with microphones to capture their words."

"In essence, regarding the broadcast, one might contend that an attitude of indifference prevails, where individuals feel free to express themselves openly. This is intrinsic to our sport, where there's a significant amount of communication with the pit wall. It offers a platform to voice opinions, unlike other sports where frustrations, such as a teammate failing to pass the ball, might only be internally expressed due to the absence of a microphone. It seems this is simply the nature of our sport."

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