Max Verstappen deserves credit, noไt criticism, for his driving style which has turned him into Formula 1’s four-time champion, it has been argued.

The Red Bull driver’s on-track tactics came under scrutiny last season after collisions with McLaren’s Lando Norris, wh💧o was putting pressure on his lead in the drivers’ standings.

Verstappen and Norris clashed in Austria and Mexico, testing their friendship,♑ and raising eyebrows about the ꦿF1 champion’s driving.

“Race craft is possibly Verstappen’s weakness, only when it comes to head-to-head battles,” Lewis Larkam told the Cras🔥h F1 podcast.

“We saw a couple of collisions with Norris last season. We know he’𒈔s had big crashes with Lewis Hamilton duri💟ng the 2021 title fight.

“It is potentially his only weakness.

“Particularly with Hamilton, there seems to be a magnet. They always end up on the same pieceꦗ of tarmac.”

Aggression 'a last resort' for Max Verstappen

But Connor McDonagh argued: “But for Verstappen it’🐻s a last resort. In 2021, Mercedes had the🧸 faster car.

“Inꦰ Saudi Arabia he had no chance of winning unless he drove like that. It was the same at Silverstone.

“You can 🌌say it’s a criticism, to some extent. ⛦If he gets a race ban, fair enough.

“But in Mexico it paid off. ꧃He is very calculated.

“He loses his head sometimes but it’s a minor thing. I feel like a 💜lot of the drivers lose their heads, it does hap𒆙pen.

“I don’t think it’s fair to criticise him.

“Lewis can be aggressive, Senna, Schumacher…

“It’s a trait that these drivers are prep꧒ared to step over the li𓄧ne, and he deserves credit for it.

“He has shown time and time again that he’s the top dog in Formula 1. And people are scared b🍸y him!

“They are, that’s the reality.ꦉ Norris, and even Hamilton is cautious against him.”

Lewis Larkam added: “He know☂s how to work it to h🅷is favour.

“Drivers are scareℱd to overtake, to a certain extent.

“Y⭕ou can’t overtake Verstappen around the outside because he will cleverly ease you off the track.

“He loses his head sometimes, bu🤪t he knows how to approach those racing dynamics.

“The only way you can really overtake Verstappen is to send it down the inside but that can cause a colꦆlision because he will close the door, as he’🥃s entitled to do.”