P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Outgoing Red Bull Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey has claimed the British media’s Formula 1 television coverage caused the “demonisation” of Max Verstappen. Verstappen was involved in a close title battle with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in 2021 which saw a war of words ensue between the two camps amid several clashes. The contest would go […]
In 2021, Verstappen and Hamilton engaged in a tight title battle, marked by clashes and a war of words between their teams, culminating in a controversial last-lap move by Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This victory propelled Verstappen to dominate the following seasons after Red Bull capitalized on a regulation change. However, Red Bull boycotted Sky’s coverage at the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix due to criticism of Verstappen’s championship win. Red Bull’s chief technical officer, Newey, criticized Sky for potentially influencing public perception of Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel negatively on a global scale. Newey also acknowledged that Verstappen’s on-track behavior in Brazil in 2021 could have warranted a penalty as he succumbed to pressure, akin to Fernando Alonso’s race-reading abilities. Throughout his reflections, Newey highlighted Verstappen’s capacity to drive the car effectively while managing other aspects of racing, drawing parallels to Alonso’s skill in reading races beyond what is readily visible.
