Red Bull harbours no concern over the explosive tone Max Verstappen has used on the radio towards his own Formula 1 team as it takes it as “constructive criticism”.
Verstappen was criticised over the manner in which he spoke to his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as his temper boiled over during last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman was incensed with the strategic call that saw him drop behind Lewis Hamilton, who he then proceeded to clash with at Turn 1 in a failed passing move.
“No mate, don’t give me that bulls**t now!” Verstappen exclaimed when warned about preserving his rubber.
“You guys gave me this f**king strategy, OK? I’m trying to rescue what’s left. For f**k’s sake.”
Several people within the paddock questioned Verstappen’s behaviour, with Hamilton even later expressing that his ex-title rival needed to “act like a World Champion”.
However, Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan contends that Verstappen’s intense desire to win shining through ensures that the team operates at a high standard.
“Perhaps, I think Max sets a pretty high bar for himself as well as us,” Monaghan said.
“Last year and at races this year, he’s reached a level the others have thus far yet to match.
“And as such, if he feels that we are not attaining his high bar, we can expect those kinds of comments.
“I don’t really have a strong view on how he presents it to us, whether the tone is pleasant, unpleasant.
“Look at it as if he is sensing that we are not getting the most out of ourselves as a team.
“If he didn’t say anything, would it push us to do anything differently? Maybe, maybe not.
“But in making those comments, maybe view it as constructive criticism rather than a rant or anything like that.”
Fernando Alonso chastised Formula One Management’s decision to televise his negative radio remark about his Aston Martin in Budapest as “low-level broadcasting”.
But Monaghan has acknowledged that it is inevitable that leading names in the sport like Verstappen will provide more interesting soundbites to a global TV audience.
“He wants the best for himself, he is a fairly significant figure in this team and he has probably the most public speaking platform,” Monaghan added.
“So, thick skin or not, I don’t mind. I think you have to try and maintain Kipling’s poem If-.
“You just got to take what he’s saying as constructive criticism, not a personal insult, and move on with it.
“[Verstappen is] fighting his corner, he wants the best for himself, he wants the best for us.
“How he puts it across, I really don’t mind. If I’m gonna say anything to him, it will be in private!”
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