Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. HOME News Politics Royal Showbiz & TV Sport Comment Finance Travel Life & Style Football Tennis F1 Boxing UFC Cricket Rugby Golf Racing NFL NBA Other Red Bull have taken action after Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided in Hungary. 13: 55, Wed, Jul 24, 2024 | UPDATED: 13: 58, Wed, Jul 24, 2024
Red Bull have banned Max Verstappen from competing in online sim races the night before Grands Prix (Image: GETTY)
Red Bull will stop Max Verstappen from competing in online sim races the night before Grands Prix following his miserable afternoon in Hungary. The Dutchman was reportedly awake until 3am to take part in a virtual race on Saturday night before whimpering to a fifth place finish at the Hungaroring circuit the following day.
Verstappen was unable to convert his pace into a podium position in Mogyorod and lashed out at his team over the radio throughout the race.
He then collided with Lewis Hamilton after a risky move down the inside of Turn One on lap 63 as his car momentarily flew into the air.
Verstappen was criticised in the aftermath of Sunday’s Grand Prix for his decision to stay up late instead of resting.
And Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has now explained in his Speedweek column that driver and team have “agreed that he will no longer run sim races this late in future”.
The 81-year-old added: “Max Verstappen was rather thin-skinned this weekend, and of course it didn’t take long for criticism to arise – no wonder, given that he spends half the night playing sim racing.
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“I have to say this: In Imola, he didn’t go to bed until three o’clock in the morning after a sim racing session – and then won the Grand Prix.
“Max has a different sleep rhythm and he had his seven hours of sleep. His late-night sim race on the Hungarian weekend only came about because a driver in his team cancelled.”
Verstappen’s late-night gaming had already been defended by Red Bull principal Christian Horner, who explained at the weekend: “I think people jump to conclusions, but Max knows what he needs and we trust his judgement on this. He knows what it takes to drive in a Grand Prix, win it and be world champion.”
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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen won’t compete in online sim races before F1 races (Image: GETTY)
Verstappen has seen his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings cut once again after his P5 in Hungary.
And after being questioned over his clash with Hamilton on Sunday, the agitated star hissed: “I see a lot of comments from people who say ‘You are too frustrated, you went too far in your comments, you disrespect the team’. They can all foff.
“I got a lot of sthrown at me in Austria when people saying moving under braking. I am positioning my car on the initial movement and then I kept it straight.
“Today, under braking, he just kept turning to the right and that is why I also locked up because I was going for the move but I saw the car on the outside kept coming at me. Otherwise, we would’ve already crashed before. I had to stop the car so that is why I locked up.”
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