Ex-F1 star BACKS Max Verstappen in British driver bias statement

George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton,Great Britain — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Superstars

Ex-F1 star BACKS Verstappen in British driver bias statement

Max Verstappen has recently suggested a bias against him and his passport

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 11 December 2024 10:58

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A former Formula 1 driver has agreed with Max Verstappen's comments about having the 'wrong passport'.

Verstappen recently sealed his fourth consecutive world championship, joining some of the greats in F1 history by breaking a plethora of records during his dominant era.

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His old rival Lewis Hamilton has seven world championships, and was beaten by Verstappen in the 2021 drivers' championship, when the title battle came down to the final lap of the final race of the season.

Since then, Verstappen has also faced fierce competition from another British star in Lando Norris, who was his nearest challenger in 2024, with the pair regularly involved in on-track spats despite maintaining their friendship off-track.

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were in a fierce championship battle in 2024

Max Verstappen and George Russell have been involved in a war of words

Verstappen backed in British battle

At the Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen also got into a heated exchange with George Russell, following being given a penalty after qualifying for impeding the Brit, handing the pole position to Russell.

Verstappen explained the 'weird' situation at the Abu Dhabi GP, criticising Russell's behaviour in the stewards' room, and calling the Mercedes star 'two-faced'.

In response, Russell alleged that Verstappen had threatened him ahead of the race in Qatar - claims that Verstappen has denied - and called him a 'bully' that other drivers need to stand up too.

Previously, Verstappen has criticised the British media, and claimed in a recent interview that he had the 'wrong passport'.

Now, former Williams and McLaren racer Juan Pablo Montoya has stuck up for Verstappen, claiming he 'identifies' with the situation.

"I watched the Qatar GP in English," he told Instant Casino. "Lando made the mistake of not lifting and they, the commentators, go: 'It's outrageous that he gets a penalty'.

"Or if Lando makes a mistake, they say: 'Oh that’s very rare'.

"Look at when Checo Perez spins. Looking at it from the outside you ask, He spun, but he doesn’t have any drive in the car. Did he really just spin, or did something fail in the car when he gassed it?

"Because there's no reason for the car not to work after you spin. He didn't hit anything. But automatically the British commentators go: 'He just spun. It's just a lack of talent. He shouldn't be driving'.

"When Max said that he had the 'wrong passport' I could identify myself with it so much."