Furious Max Verstappen slates "sickening" character assassination and family abuse

Max Verstappen

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Furious Verstappen slates "sickening" character assassination and family abuse

Verstappen was targeted after the Red Bull team order fiasco in Brazil

Ewan Gale

Thursday 17 November 2022 13:38

Max Verstappen has denounced the "sickening", "disgusting" and "unacceptable" character assassination of himself and the targeted abuse of his relatives in the aftermath of the Red Bull team order furore in Brazil.

The two-time world champion refused to pull aside to allow team-mate Sergio Perez past at Interlagos as the Mexican battles for second in the championship with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull is seeking a first one-two in the championship but Verstappen's refusal to comply with the team's wishes means Leclerc and Perez enter the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend level on points.

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Verstappen has cited a past issue within the team as to why he failed to allow Perez past, although he nor Red Bull have been forthcoming with an explanation as to what the issue is, despite rumours circulating around the circumstances of Perez's Q3 crash at Monaco.

But tackling the response to the São Paulo Grand Prix, a race in which Verstappen was also penalised for colliding with rival Lewis Hamilton, the Dutchman said: "After that race, I looked very bad in the media, but they didn't have the clear picture.

"To immediately put me down like that is ridiculous to be honest because they don't know how I work in the team and what the team appreciates about me.

"All the things I have read are pretty disgusting."

Citing attacks against his loved ones, Verstappen added: "Even more than that, they started attacking my family, my sister, my mum, my girlfriend and my dad.

"For me, that goes way too far when you don't even have the facts of what actually was going on.

"That definitely has to stop. If you have a problem with me, that is fine but don't go after my family because that is just unacceptable.

"I just don't understand when people don't have the full picture, they immediately start attacking me like that.

"I hope one day they actually understand what was going on because it is unacceptable behaviour.

"So many people, and in this paddock to be honest, not only fans. A lot of people, what they have been writing about me is ridiculous."

Verstappen - 'Abuse does get to me'

Verstappen has found himself at the centre of controversy across his F1 career with question marks raised early on about his racing style.

Whilst those issues have been ironed out, many still point to last year's controversial title battle with Hamilton as a flaw in Verstappen's records, despite the 25-year-old having no influence on race control's handling of the safety car situation.

Asked if he is able to cope with the onslaught in the media and on social media from F1 fans, Verstappen conceded: "When your own sister writes to you that it is getting way too much, I think that says enough.

"It does get to me because you cannot attack my family.

"You don't know the real story so you don't need to write the story. I am just a bit fed up with all this bulls**t just going around all the time.

"As soon as there is something negative, it needs to be highlighted.

"It is pretty sickening to be a part of all that when at the end of the day, I haven't even done anything wrong.

"People misunderstood what was going on."