Red Bull clarify Max Verstappen criticism

Red Bull - Max Verstappen

Red Bull clarify Verstappen criticism

A former race engineer was quoted questioning Verstappen's technical ability

Sam Hall

Thursday 15 December 2022 07:30

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan has clarified apparent criticism of Max Verstappen from former race engineer Guillaume Rocquelin.

Verstappen was dominant in defending his F1 title this past term, securing his second championship with four races to spare.

But speaking on 'Les Fous de Volant' podcast, the head of Red Bull's driver academy was quoted as suggesting that Verstappen was "weak technically compared to other drivers we’ve [Red Bull] worked with".

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Rocquelin previously served as the race engineer to David Coulthard and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.

Clarifying the comments, Monaghan said: "If we may just correct some things, it was a poor translation from an interview from a colleague of mine so, it's a little bit misquoted.

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Verstappen may have showcased his abilities with a record-breaking 15 wins this past season, but Monaghan remains convinced there is more to come from the Dutchman.

"Can he improve? Yes, of course he can," he added.

"He might not thank me for saying that. But I think there are areas he can get a little bit better.

"He'll dig into himself and think what could he do better for a season, and it's up to us to give him a car to go and demonstrate those skills next year."