F1 News: Jeremy Clarkson tells British fans they've got Max Verstappen all wrong

Max Verstappen

Jeremy Clarkson tells Brits they've got Max Verstappen all wrong

Max Verstappen has drawn the ire of many British F1 fans

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Tuesday 7 July 2026 23:14

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Clarkson's Farm star and former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has hailed Max Verstappen as one of the nicest people both inside and outside of the F1 paddock.

The TV icon revealed this while a guest at Silverstone with the Alpine F1 team.

Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm is a stone's throw from Alpine's base in Enstone and they teamed up for the British Grand Prix weekend.

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While heading off from Silverstone on the Sunday - 20 laps early to avoid the traffic - Clarkson revealed a particularly pleasant encounter he had with Verstappen.

The Dutchman has long been Public Enemy No. 1 for British fans, largely due to the 2021 season and how it ended. The Red Bull star of course had no say in how the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finished, I (sadly) feel obliged to point out.

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Clarkson: Verstappen one of the good guys

Thankfully there are many Brits who even if they don't support Verstappen and his antics on the race track, can separate the driver from the person.

But if there are some who still aren't sure about the man, perhaps Clarkson's words can help convince them.

"Last year, I was locked in a small room with Max Verstappen for two hours," Clarkson recalled while leaving the British Grand Prix. "He’s a lovely guy, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met."

The remarkable situation Clarkson refers to took place during last year's race. At the time, both men had to wait until the traffic jams around the circuit had cleared - hence the 66-year-old's decision to leave early.

To be fair to Jeremy, he did insist that he was turning off all social media to go and enjoy the race at home. Not that there was any doubting the man's passion and love for all things F1, especially Silverstone.

Alpine and Clarkson's Farm Silverstone partnership

Alpine enjoyed a double-points finish on Sunday, with Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly securing P9 and P10 respectively.

The pair were fuelled by some of Clarkson's produce and it appears the partnership is growing from strength to strength.

Steve Nielsen, Alpine's managing director, said of the partnership: "We are delighted to rely on Diddly Squat Farm to supply us with local farm food this weekend at Silverstone.

"As a team, we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Jeremy Clarkson who has been very supportive of us for several years. It's great that we are able to help promote British farming and highlight the importance of farming to the local area.

"Our base at Enstone is surrounded by farms so we are well aware and full of admiration for what farmers do in bringing food to our tables. It's a special occasion to bring local food to Silverstone to keep our team and drivers well fed this weekend so thanks to Jeremy and the team at Diddly Squat Farm for their ongoing support."

Meanwhile, Clarkson's partner and co-founder of Diddly Squat Farm Lisa Hogan said: "It is with great pleasure to team up with our local F1 team at Silverstone this weekend.

"The British Grand Prix is one of the highlights on the British sporting calendar so to have Diddly Squat Farm Shop associated, and to play a small role, with the team this weekend is certainly quite special.

"We hope the team and its drivers enjoy some of our local produce and wish them a successful weekend on track."

F1 Max Verstappen Jeremy Clarkson