‘They’re not very nice to me’: Max Verstappen reacts to F1 2023 rating

The 'Champions Edition' of F1 23 was released on June 13, and Max Verstappen was not pleased.

Following the release of F1 23, Formula 1 drivers have been reacting to their ratings on this season’s game, with many of them having been disappointed at their “Awareness” rating.

After claiming back-to-back titles, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has the highest rating in this season’s game, with EA Sports having awarded him with a rating of 94/100.

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso are joint-second on the list, due to being awarded a very respectable 92.

F1 uploaded a video on YouTube showing the stars assessing their ratings, with Verstappen having joked that the game’s developers weren’t “very nice” to him.

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Prior to being shown their ratings, the drivers were tasked with guessing what others had been awarded, something which resulted in some comical moments.

Verstappen was one of the drivers to crack a joke during the video, after he discovered that he was awarded a rating less than team-mate Sergio Perez in the “Awareness” category.

“They’re not very nice to me on awareness,” joked Verstappen.

Perez also received a higher score in the “Experience” category, something which can’t be argued given that he made his F1 debut for Sauber in 2011.

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Comically, Lando Norris and George Russell were paired together, as were the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

They were asked to rate each other’s scores, with the “Awareness” category having again caused confusion.

They initially thought the category was based on how often they crashed or visited the stewards’ office, with Norris having labelled Russell as a “teacher’s pet”.

Sainz was keen to discover how the ratings were calculated, something which resulted in himself and Leclerc bursting into laughter.

“Is it race or practice and quali?” Sainz asked, prior to the Ferrari duo laughing.

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This year’s game sees the return of ‘Braking Point’, whilst it also features Las Vegas and Qatar.

Players can race around the Losail International Circuit in Qatar or storm down the straights at the Las Vegas GP, which includes parts of the famous ‘Vegas strip’.

Whilst the official release date of F1 23 is June 16, those who pre-ordered the ‘Champions Edition’ of the game got access to it on June 13.