Verstappen: « We just need to focus on ourselves »
The four-time F1 world champion answered questions about the upcoming season and the FIA regulations regarding language offenses. According to him, Red Bull Racing should focus primarily on the car.
On the evening of February 18, during the historic event marking the launch of the F1 season, Max Verstappen had to face numerous questions at a press conference in front of the media. The world champion had to address the tensions that existed at the end of the season with George Russell.
Max Verstappen was closed off on this subject with the English journalists and does not wish to continue the controversy: « Honestly, I have no intention of pursuing any quarrel in February. I am still enjoying my time away from Formula 1 and am simply preparing for the season. So, I have nothing to say on this topic. »
Against the FIA restrictions on language
The FIA has updated its regulations concerning all drivers participating in the federation’s championships. In the event of using inappropriate language, financial penalties will be imposed. Most drivers seem to share the same opinion on the matter. Max Verstappen, who is quite known for his straightforwardness, concurs with them.
« I am not going to speak for everyone, but I think everyone is going in the same direction », he explains before clarifying: « It is not necessary to do something like this, but I think it is important that we can have a discussion about it. At the same time, we also need the help of others, of teams, of promoters. We can also have an appropriate discussion about this because, ultimately, we are all in the same boat. »
« I don’t even need to say much, do I? Because I think if you just look at everyone’s reaction, that already says enough. Of course, I understand that you can’t always swear everywhere you go. »
He is not the only one who shares this point of view: during the presentation evening, Gordon Ramsay spoke on the subject, asking that the drivers be allowed to be real, punctuating his speech with one of the words banned by the FIA. « Let them be real, let it go! » A little earlier in the evening, boos rose from the audience at the mention of the FIA.
« We all understand that as race car drivers, but sometimes, in the heat of the moment or during an interview, when we’re in the car after an adrenaline rush, some things might slip out a bit. »
Verstappen also highlights the influence of education on language: a swear word uttered does not necessarily stem from a desire to harm or hurt someone. There is no need, therefore, to take this matter so seriously: « Moreover, we all grew up using swear words at times, and I think we shouldn’t take it too seriously. I’m not going to tell you how you should behave in life either. »
Focus on Red Bull and only on Red Bull.
The end of the 2024 season was complicated for Red Bull. The loss of performance of the Red Bull is linked to a set of factors; first, the wind tunnel development and computer-aided design quotas were significantly reduced in recent months due to their budget overrun and financial penalty, preventing quicker developments. Then, Adrian Newey announced the end of his Red Bull tenure, moving to Aston Martin, despite being one of the key designers for the development of the car. Finally, Ferrari and McLaren have made significant progress, making the Red Bull a much less dominant car and even completely struggling on certain tracks.
According to Max Verstappen, to win a fifth world championship title in 2025, the team must not get distracted by what other teams are doing: « We must simply focus on ourselves. »
« There is no point in looking at others, we know we have things to improve on the car, and that is what we are working on. » he concluded.
