Not long in the wake of completing fifth in the Hungarian Terrific Prix, Max Verstappen has been told to end his late-night sim races.
When McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won the race on Sunday, the three-time world champion was clearly irritated.
Commentators were also struck by Verstappen’s out-of-character appearance right from the start.
In Mogyorod, McLaren completed an iconic one-two finish, with British driver Lando Norris allowing teammate Piastri to earn his first F1 victory.
Red Bull, on the other hand, criticized Sky Sports for suggesting that Verstappen’s performance on Sunday had been affected by his participation in virtual races until 3 a.m.
In a Spa 24-hour virtual event, Verstappen, 26, took over for another Team Redline driver and raced into the early hours.
According to the Daily Express, Red Bull has now confirmed that Verstappen will no longer participate in future late-night sim racing sessions, despite Verstappen’s defense of his preparations in the face of criticism from experts and former world champion Nico Rosberg.
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko said: “I need to express that in Imola he didn’t hit the sack until three AM after a sim dashing meeting – and afterward won the [Emilia Romagna] Terrific Prix.
“Max slept for seven hours because he sleeps in a different way.
His late-night sim appearance on the Hungary weekend was only made possible by the departure of one of his team’s drivers.
Marko said, “Nevertheless, we agreed that he would no longer run simulations so late in the future,” referring to Verstappen’s ban from his own team.
Ex-Mercedes star Rosberg, who was essential for Sky Sports’ punditry group on Sunday, didn’t keep down in that frame of mind between the failing to meet expectations Verstappen and next in line Norris.
Rosberg suggested Verstappen might be getting a little too comfortable at the top and praised Norris for his meticulous preparation.
The German claimed, “I was quite impressed, actually, because he has learned how to become a more professional athlete.”
“He wasn’t really trying to be the best athlete when he started F1, especially against [former teammate Daniel] Ricciardo. Therefore, he went to bed at 11:05 last night.
Not 11, 11:05. It was 8:05 in the morning when I got up. The menu for breakfast was already predetermined.
So he was hyper-proficient, which was good to be aware.
“At the same time, on the other hand, you have Verstappen, who was sim-racing until three in the morning last night,” she said, adding, “That’s a little disappointing, isn’t it? It just demonstrates that he is overly accustomed to his dominance.
Verstappen’s collision with Lewis Hamilton and fifth-place finish did not significantly affect his commanding lead in the drivers’ championship, despite his reservations about his team’s strategy during the race.
Red Bull currently hold a 51-point lead over McLaren in the constructors’ standings, while the Dutch sensation sits comfortably on 389 points, which is still a significant 76 points ahead of Norris, the closest challenger.
