Max Verstappen’s start to 2023 hasn’t been the best. The Dutchman’s reliability issues from the opening stages of the 2022 F1 season followed him to this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. Remarkably, the driver aspires to win the virtual race and has participated annually. However, the early finish of this year’s race has made him vow never to compete in it again.
On January 14 and 15, a virtual edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was held. But due to a suspected security breach, the race was red-flagged twice. Further connection issues meant a massive setback for Verstappen, who had slipped to 17th after once leading the race. The driver, following the persistent issues, left the race and lashed out at the event organizers. In his outburst, he said, “Honestly, it’s a joke. You cannot even call it an event. It’s a clown show. That’s why it’s better to retire the car because driving around in P15 for six hours makes no sense for everyone.”
Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – November 17, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during the press conference REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
This comment, among others, has invited strong opposition from the eSports community and several others. Notably, one of them is former Haas F1 driver, Romain Grosjean, who commented on Twitter, “What about when you have an engine failure or mechanical in real life, isn’t it the same…?”
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In another statement, as quoted by Motorsportweek, he commented, “Sim racing is super competitive and seeing one of the biggest race in the world being done on [a] sim is awesome Yes, few bits and pieces to improve, but isn’t that just like everywhere else?”
The Dutchman claims to have prepared for months for the event. It remains to be seen whether the organizers will be able to persuade him to participate in the next race.
Reception of Grosjean’s comment on Max Verstappen
In response to the tweet made by Grosjean, who also serves as a technical adviser to Motorsport Games, the organizer, the internet was quick to react. Many fans of Verstappen hit back against the defense of the Swiss-French driver.
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Endurance star Brad Philpot justified Max Verstappen’s comments, as quoted by PlanetF1, saying, “If your own computer fails – that’s similar to an engine failure. But the server disconnecting you is more like race control having a random shut-off switch built into every car that gets deployed at random.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Charles Leclerc Gets Into Heated Debated With Max Verstappen Fan Over Dinner Time Conversation
The director of Max Verstappen’s Team Redline also defended his driver against Grosjean’s comments. Additionally, Max’s fans justified the comments by highlighting the efforts put in by the driver and his dedication to his virtual team. Do you think the comments made by Verstappen are justified? Or did they cross the line? Let us know in the comments.
