The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend did not go to plan for Max Verstappen at all, with the Dutchman not even arriving to the track until Friday due to a stomach bug he was struggling with.
The 25-year-old then failed to set a lap time during Q2 because he experienced a driveshaft issue that the team were not able to repair in time for him to go back out on track to complete a fast lap attempt.
This meant that Verstappen was forced to start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from P15 and it took a stunning recovery drive from the Dutchman for him to eventually finish on the podium.
The Red Bull driver finished in second behind his teammate Sergio Perez and he criticised his team after the race for their reliability issues.
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“Personally I am not happy,” he said.
“I am not here to be second, especially when you are working very hard at the factory to arrive here in a good state and make sure everything is spot on and you have to do a recovery race – which I like, I don’t mind doing it.
“But when you are fighting it out for a championship and it looks like it is only two cars, we have to make sure the two cars are reliable.”
Former F1 driver Nico Rosberg has slammed Verstappen for his poor attitude, and suggested that overall, his team have done a phenomenal job so far this season.
“It is not good to see that really,” he told Sky Sports in response to Verstappen’s comments.
“Also, [on Saturday] he left the track very quickly and skipped the team meeting apparently, that is what we have been told.
“That is not a good approach, not a good mentality this early in the season when the team has done such a brilliant job with the car and is working so hard.
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“He could be a little bit more gracious, I would say.”
Verstappen has also been criticised for snatching the fastest lap away from Sergio Perez at the end of the race, ensuring that the Mexican does not leave Saudi Arabia ahead of him in the championship standings.
The Dutchman was told not to worry about the fastest lap but decided to defy his team and set the quickest lap time of the Grand Prix on the final lap.