Max Verstappen is playing catch up this season as he looks to close the gap with Ferrari in this week’s Australian Grand Prix. The Dutchmen managed to win in Saudi Arabia, but a DNF in the season opener in Bahrain means he still trails both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Verstsappen is hoping to defend his World Championship crown after winning in controversial style last season. The title decider in Abu Dhabi ended in chaos after race director Michael Masi instructed only some lapped racers to overtake the safety car, allowing Verstappen to move right up behind Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen’s last lap victory angered many, including petrol head Jeremy Clarkson.
The star of The Grand Tour took swipes at both Hamilton and Verstappen after the race.
Clarkson criticized Hamilton’s environmental activism and referred to him as a “tax dodger”, while he also called Verstappen a “Belgian yob” before admitting he was actually rooting for the Red Bull racer.
Writing in the Sunday Times, Clarkson said: “Then there’s Max Verstappen, who’s a yob.
“They are both epic drivers, though. For what it’s worth, I think Max is probably better than a helmsman.
“He just seems to be able to get more out of the car than it is capable of delivering.”
He ended his column by saying: “Go, Max. You may be a Belgian yob, but I’m rooting for you, boy.”
Verstappen was born in Belgium, but has a Dutch father. He races under the Dutch flag.
Weighing up the two drivers, Clarkson said: “But when it comes to wheel-to-wheel racing, Lewis probably has the edge.
“When the chips are down, he gets canny. He’s cleverer. More calculating. So we have a battle of maths versus violence.”
Verstappen has received criticism in the past for his aggressive driving style and blunt personality away from the track.
But Clarkson appears to like the Dutchman’s style – and the TV star hasn’t always been as glowing about F1.
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“Number one, get rid of the stewards, dangerous driving is what fans want so if someone does dangerous driving I’d give them an extra five championship points.
“The cars have to be stronger, they have to be able to withstand wheel-to-wheel action without bits of front wings coming off.
“And number three, the governing body needs to look at what cricket did.
“They had a five-day boring sport and they turned it into what we saw in the final of the World Cup ‒ super overs and crowds chanting.”
He then compared F1 to other sports, saying he would rather watch Wimbledon.
Clarkson concluded: “I was watching the Federer-Djokovic final and meanwhile there was Lewis Hamilton, ‘ah I’ll just wait for a pit stop to come in and I’ll overtake Bottas that way.’”
