BREAKING NEWS: Max Verstappen Criticizes FIA Over… Following Perez and Sainz Crash at Baku
Max Verstappen Criticizes FIA Over… Following Perez and Sainz Crash at Baku
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 15th, 2024, witnessed a dramatic crash involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz on lap 50, leaving the entire grid surprised. However, what frustrated many drivers, especially Max Verstappen, was the FIA’s delayed decision to deploy the Virtual Safety Car (VSC). Verstappen, who has had a challenging weekend in Baku, was vocal about his displeasure with the delay in addressing the incident.
Verstappen’s race weekend in Azerbaijan was filled with difficulties. The setup of his RB20 car did not suit his driving style, making it hard for him to compete with the pace of the McLarens and Ferraris. His struggles were compounded when his Red Bull Racing teammate, Sergio Perez, out-qualified him. Perez managed to secure P4 during qualifying, while Verstappen could only achieve P6, adding to his frustration.
As the race unfolded on Sunday, Verstappen found it hard to gain ground. He struggled to make progress on both medium and hard compound tires, and his car setup did not allow him to maximize his performance. Throughout the race, he was stuck behind drivers like Alex Albon, Lando Norris, and George Russell, unable to find the pace needed to break through.
Verstappen’s weekend took a further turn for the worse during the final stages of the race. On lap 50, a crash between his teammate Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz caused significant debris and blocked a portion of the track near turn three. Despite the severity of the crash, the FIA took over a minute to deploy the VSC, a decision that left Verstappen fuming. The delay allowed the race to continue under double yellow flags for a longer period than many drivers expected.
In a post-race interview, Verstappen did not hold back his criticisms of the FIA’s handling of the situation. The reigning triple-world champion expressed his confusion and frustration, calling for the immediate deployment of the Safety Car instead of waiting so long to issue a VSC.
“You should have sent out a Safety Car straight away. I don’t understand it. I mean, there are two cars full in the wall. Why does it take so long? And then there’s a double yellow. Why double? Just send a Safety Car! Nothing is going to happen. The track is completely blocked, there’s dirt everywhere, and there’s damage. Why a Virtual Safety Car? They should have just sent a Safety Car,” Verstappen said, clearly unhappy with how the situation was managed.
Verstappen wasn’t the only driver to voice his concerns about the delayed response. George Russell of Mercedes-AMG also commented on the FIA’s decision after the race, calling the situation “crazy.”
“Driving full gas into a wall of carbon fiber on the penultimate lap… I mean, that was pretty insane. The sun was coming down, you couldn’t see anything. I was shocked the Safety Car or VSC didn’t come out sooner,” Russell remarked, sharing similar sentiments to Verstappen about the dangerous conditions drivers faced during the race.
The delayed VSC was not the only issue that Verstappen had to contend with. His RB20 car’s performance was subpar, especially in the low-speed corners, where the car was “jumping around a lot,” according to Verstappen. The 26-year-old described how his wheels were frequently losing contact with the ground, causing him to lose grip and overheat his tires. This lack of stability and grip made it nearly impossible for him to drive consistently or competitively during the race.
“(The car) was jumping around a lot in all the low-speed corners. My wheels were literally coming off the ground. Then, of course, you lose contact patch with the tarmac, which you don’t want. That caused me to slide a lot more, overheat the tires more, and there was no way to drive around it. The pace was just a bit all over the place,” Verstappen explained.
Despite his fifth-place finish, Verstappen remains optimistic about Red Bull’s chances in the remaining races of the season. He still holds a solid lead in the drivers’ championship, ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, and believes that the team will bounce back soon.
With seven races left in the season, Verstappen hopes that Red Bull can sort out the issues with his car’s setup and improve its performance in the upcoming races. While the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a weekend to forget for the reigning world champion, he remains focused on maintaining his lead and clinching another title.
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