Max Verstappen was quite outspoken last week in the run-up to the Grand Prix of Las Vegas about the show element surrounding the race in the gambling city. His statements came under a lot of criticism, but the Dutchman is now hitting back at those criticisms.
Verstappen announced early in the week that he had little interest in the upcoming race. “First of all, I think we’re here more for the show than the racing itself, if you look at the layout of the track. But you know, I don’t really like that. I’m more like, I go there, do my thing and I’ll leave again,” the Dutchman said in the run-up to the penultimate race of the season. After the weekend’s rather special opening ceremony, the three-time world champion even said he felt like ‘a clown’ and all in all, Verstappen’s comments did not receive a positive response from everyone.
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Hypocritical Verstappen?
Critics stated, among other things, that Verstappen’s astronomical salary is a result of the growth of the sport through such events and that it was therefore hypocritical to make such comments. In an extensive interview with The Telegraph” href=”https://https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2023/11/23/max-verstappen-interview-show-races-history-lewis-hamilton/” target=” _blank”>The Telegraph makes mincemeat of the three-time world champion with those comments: “In terms of salary, I don’t think it makes a difference in my contract. It doesn’t matter to Red Bull how much money is made in Formula 1. Until a few years ago, every team made a loss and I still got a high salary. It has nothing to do with that. Red Bull is also bigger than just its Formula 1 activities,” says the Limburger.
Criticism must be allowed
Verstappen continues: “It’s always very easy to say: ‘You can’t complain, look how much money you make’. Who gives a fuck about how much money you make? It’s about saying what you think and what you think is right is or is necessary to take care of the sport. I don’t care if I earn two million or a hundred million. I don’t care. I always want to give my opinion. That’s how I grew up. That’s how we work as a team .I don’t care if I’m talking to the big boss or the local security guy. It doesn’t matter to me. You should always be able to say what you think. People should be able to handle criticism. If you can’t take criticism you will not get any further as a person,” Verstappen concludes his wise lesson.
