Max Verstappen says tetchy team radio talk with Red Bull F1 race engineer was 50% serious, 50% joking
A series of168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: awkward discussions with Lambiase - also known as GP - became one of the talking points of the Belgium weekend as Verstappen cruised to his eighth victory on the bounce to extend his championship lead over teammate168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Sergio Perez to 125 points.
The Dutchman had already apologised for a168澳๊洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: tense, expletive-filled back-and-forth with Lambiase during Frid♑ay’s qualifying session, but the heated exchanges continued in Sunday’s grand prix.
When Verstappen found himself running second behind early leader Perez, Liambiase asked him to “use your head” over 🤪his tyre life.
Verstappen was also🌺 heard sarcastically quipping that he “can’t see the weather radar” during a mid-race shower and saw a request to make a late stop for “pit st🅺op training” and to secure the fastest lap bonus point rebuffed.
Asked after the race if the exchanges had been serious or light-hearted, the two-time🎃 world champion responded: “Probably 50-50 in the messages.
“I know that the team doesn’t like to do another stop [du𒉰ring the race], but I like to mention it so they might get a bit nervous.
“I like the response of ‘no, no, we are not doing that today’. It’s fine. We know each other very well and we have a 𒈔very good relationship.𝄹”
Ve♕rstappen went on to stress the importance of his relationshi꧅p with his race engineer, admitting it would “not be ideal at all” if he and Lambiase were to stop working together at any point.
“I think it’s very imp🧸ortant, the relationship with your race engineer,” he said.&n🦹bsp;
“I find it always a really important part of your performance, and not only your race engineer but ever🌠yone close around you, your performance engineer and these kinds of things.
“Of course, over the years you build up much💟 more a relationship and you know each other better, so yeah, for sure, if he would be removed 🐠then that would definitely not be ideal at all.”
Red Bull team principal Christi🍌an Horner conceded that Verstappen and Lambiase’s relationsh✃ip is “sparky”.
"I think to race engineer Max Verstappen, you'𝄹ve got to have strength of character because he is one tough customer," Horner told Sky F1.&nb𒈔sp;
"Many race engineers would crumble under that pressure a🤡n𓂃d GP has got the strength of character to deal with that.
"He ⛎deals with him firmly, but fairly and there's a great respect between the tꦡwo of them. That comes out of a mutual trust that you must have with an engineer.
”The only problem is that conversation bet♛ween the two of them has 200 million people listening, but there's a great bond between the two of them and a great trust 🅷between the two.
“Sometimes it gets a bit sparky between the two of themꦅ, but Max is the kind of character that will rev very quickly and it will come down very quickly. GP doesn't forget so quickly."
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in🌃 the sport.
