Max Verstappen reveals how he went AGAINST his team during Monaco victory

Max Verstappen

Verstappen reveals how he went AGAINST his team during Monaco victory

Max Verstappen was dominant throughout the Monaco Grand Prix, but his team in the Red Bull garage weren't so comfortable during the race

Harry Smith

Wednesday 31 May 2023 21:57

Max Verstappen has revealed that he went against his team's recommendations during the Monaco Grand Prix on his way to an emphatic victory.

The Dutch driver opened up a commanding lead ahead of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso before rain caused havoc throughout the field.

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Verstappen was forced to stay out to avoid being outfoxed by Alonso on strategy, despite holding a comfortable lead out front.

As the conditions worsened, Verstappen flirted with the barriers more and more, taking some knocks during a sketchy moment at Portier.

In the end, the Dutch driver held it together to take his fourth grand prix victory of the season and widen his lead at the top of the driver standings.

Verstappen denies team orders

The Dutch driver revealed a peek behind the curtains of his Monaco triumph in an interview with Formule1.nl.

“My engineer asked me that too,” Verstappen replied when asked if Red Bull had told him to be more careful in the lead.

Verstappen kept his cool during challenging conditions at the Monaco Grand Prix

“But when you have a certain rhythm, you better stick to it. I think I hit the wall once. I thought I had more room, but then I hit the wall… apparently I didn't have that room.

“But it was otherwise fine. It's better to keep your rhythm and feel good than to slow down and get out of your zone.

“Your tyres will also get colder, you don't want that either. I decided it was better to continue as before. I was comfortable in the zone .”