Max Verstappen has apologised for a remark he made about Brazilians during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, after his comment didn't go down well with fans and some drivers.
The Red Bull driver felt Felipe Massa had ruined his qualifying lap by overtaking him during their out-laps. After the session, he was asked about it and replied: "Well, he's a Brazilian – so there's not much to discuss."
Brazilian fans reacted strongly to the remark, whilst Massa warned the Dutchman face-to-face before the Bahrain race that he should choose his words wisely.
"I told him earlier today, 'Be careful with your words because you will have a Brazilian Grand Prix at the end of year and you will have to race there. So be careful what you say'," he told the UOL Esporte radio station.
"Without a doubt, it was not right to speak about Brazilians without even knowing what he was talking about."
Verstapped moved to diffuse the situation on Monday, posting on his personal Facebook page: "I feel like I need to clarify my remarks that were made after this weekend's qualifying session.
"Being a passionate racer, I was very disappointed with my last stint and gave an emotional reaction that was taken out of context.
"By no means did I mean to insult the Brazilian people who I greatly respect and are always very nice to me when I visit the country.
"One of the highlights of my career was last year's Brazilian GP and it was extra special to do this in the country that brought us legendary drivers such as Senna, Fittipaldi and Piquet.
"I would like to apologise to any Brazilians that feel offended and look forward to racing in your country again."
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