Verstappen: Portimao F1 radio comments "not correct"
Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen admits the offensive language directed at Lance Stroll during Portugal practice was "not correct" following a collision between the pair
Verstappen made the comments after a collision with Lance Stroll in practice for the Portuguese GP, after the Canadian didn't see him as the pair headed into the first corner.
Verstappen said "Is this fucking guy blind? What the fuck is wrong with him? Jesus Christ. What a retard. I have damage. What a mongol. I swear."
Stroll ended up in the gravel trap, while Verstappen's car suffered minor damage and was able to return to the pits. Neither driver was penalised for the incident.
When it was suggested to him later that day that people might be offended by his choice of words, he said it was "not my problem."
His team boss Christian Horner also downplayed the comments, noting: "Some drivers work together, and some drivers don't. And sometimes if Max is coming up behind Lance or [Esteban] Ocon, it can get colourful."
However Verstappen's language had created an escalating stir on social media and generated formal responses from groups such as Mongol Identity, who had found his comments offensive.
OPINION: Why do Verstappen's offensive comments get a free pass?
Questioned on the subject at Imola today Verstappen conceded that the words he chose were "not the right ones."
"I mean, first of all, I never intended to offend anyone," Verstappen said at Imola on Friday.
"You know, that's never what I wanted. It happened in the heat of the moment, when you're driving at such speeds things like that can happen.
"I don't say that the words I chose were the right ones. I mean, I also know that they are not correct.
"But once again, I never meant to offend anyone with that. And besides that, of course, I was swearing at Lance, but then of course I saw him straight away after, and that's what racing drivers are as well.
"We can be angry at each other, but within five minutes when we talk to each other and look each other in the eyes then, you know, it's forgotten.
"So, I think sometimes things get a bit heated up from the outside.
"While, I never meant to hurt anyone in particular, I don't think they need to make it bigger than it is. I also know that it was not correct, but I cannot change it. Of course you learn from it. And, well, we'll do better."
Stroll: Imola refresher test in Prema GP2 car a "useful experience"
Norris messaged Hamilton to apologise for "stupid" F1 win record comments
Le Mans 24 Hours to reserve 15 slots for LMP2 cars in 2024
A minimum of 15 grid spots at the Le Mans 24 Hours will be reserved for LMP2 cars if the class is dropped from the World Endurance Championship in 2024.
FIA doubles F1 cost cap allowance for sprint races in 2023
The FIA has announced it will double teams’ cost cap allowance for each Formula 1 sprint race in 2023, but has ditched the exemptions for accident damage.
Formula E completes 2022-23 calendar with Portland race
The 2022-23 Formula E calendar has been completed with the addition of a round in Portland, Oregon to ensure the United States remains on next season's schedule.
FIA to drop F1 COVID vaccination requirement for 2023
The FIA has announced that it will relax Formula 1’s COVID-19 protocols for the 2023 season, including a requirement for those in the paddock to be vaccinated.
The sliding doors moment that saved Red Bull and Porsche
OPINION: Everything looked set for Red Bull and Porsche to join forces for the 2026 season, before the marriage between both parties was called off. While at the time it looked like a major coup for Formula 1 in gaining both VW Group powerhouses Audi and Porsche for 2026, Red Bull and Porsche have really been spared a potentially fractious relationship.
How Tyrrell’s post-Stewart era descended into a fight to survive
Glory days for Tyrrell became increasingly infrequent after Jackie Stewart’s retirement. But in the latest instalment of his history of the team for Autosport's sister title GP Racing, MAURICE HAMILTON recalls how Ken Tyrrell’s plucky and defiantly small team stayed bold enough to innovate – springing a surprise with F1’s first six-wheeled car
The forgettable final car of a former F1 giant that gave Damon Hill his start
While it launched the F1 career of a future world champion, STUART CODLING recalls that the BT60 was also the final nail in the coffin of a once-great marque 30 years ago. Here is its story
How departing F1 boss Brawn views F1’s new rules - and the future
Multiple-title-winning designer and team boss Ross Brawn is finally leaving Formula 1 after nearly 50 years in motorsport. But he still has plenty of insights on what’s working and what comes next, as he revealed to Autosport in a far-reaching exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi
The key F1 management call Ferrari must make to avoid more defeat
OPINION: Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari will naturally bring a range of changes across the Formula 1 team. But how the changes shape up and the impact they could have is set to be dictated by a key direction Ferrari’s top dogs will need to pick
The difference between Mercedes’ stumble and the fall of F1 giants
OPINION: Mercedes endured its worst season of the hybrid Formula 1 era, but was mercifully spared its first winless campaign in over a decade late on. It has owned up to the mistakes it made which led to its troubled W13. And while its task to return to title-challenging contention is not small, its 2022 season seems more like a blip than the beginning of a downward spiral.
The physical focus bringing out the best of an F1 midfield star
Esteban Ocon likes to point out he’s the first driver since Lewis Hamilton to emerge from a spell as Fernando Alonso’s team-mate with a superior overall points record. While some may disagree, as LUKE SMITH discovered, the 2021 Hungarian GP winner reckons it’s not just luck which has made him France’s pre-eminent Formula 1 driver of the moment…
How Red Bull's dynamic leader shaped its F1 philosophy
The death of Dietrich Mateschitz last month has not only deprived Red Bull of its visionary founder, it has shorn Formula 1 of one of its most influential benefactors. Mateschitz himself was famously media-shy, preferring to let the brand do the talking on his behalf. And, while it’s now normal to speak of Red Bull F1 titles and champions made, Mateschitz never assumed it would be easy or even possible – as ANTHONY ROWLINSON discovered during this previously unpublished interview from 2006…