Verstappen’s rage not linked to late-night gaming, Red Bull refutes claims

Red Bull defends Verstappen: late-night gaming not to blame for Hungarian GP outbursts.

Red Bull Racing has firmly dismissed claims that Max Verstappen’s heated radio exchanges during the Hungarian Grand Prix resulted from his late-night gaming habit. Suggestions that the Dutch driver's temper was exacerbated by a lack of sleep were labeled as "rubbish" by the team.

Radio fury

Verstappen, the reigning world champion known as an avid gamer, engaged in a series of fiery exchanges with his team over the radio during the race. Post-race, Verstappen had strong words for anyone accusing him of disrespecting the team, bluntly saying they should "f--- off."

Throughout the weekend, social media posts indicated Verstappen participated in endurance sim races overnight, staying up until 3 a.m., just 12 hours before the race. This led to speculation about his sleep patterns on Sky Sports during the event. However, Red Bull officials quickly refuted any correlation.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko emphasized that Verstappen’s unique rhythm and routine have not impacted his performance. "He was up even longer in Imola, I don't know where the sleeping times came from again, and won the race," Marko told Motorsport.com.

Marko added, "Max has a different rhythm to me or other people, and the time he went to bed is nothing out of the ordinary for him. He didn't even wake up at 10 o'clock in Zandvoort when the helicopters flew over his motorhome. He's got his sleep quota. He's had it as usual. That's rubbish."

Verstappen's night-time gaming is well-documented and has not hindered his success on the track. He clinched victories in both the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix despite viral clips showing him gaming into the early hours before race day.

Team Principal Christian Horner backed Verstappen's judgment regarding his downtime activities. "I think people draw conclusions, but Max knows what's required and we trust his judgment on that," said Horner.

"He knows what it takes to drive a grand prix car and to win grands prix and be a world champion. And look, as a team, we always work as a team, and any discussions on how to improve will always not take place through media."

Red Bull firmly stands by their driver, asserting that his professional approach, regardless of his pre-race activities, will not be questioned. Verstappen, confident in his routine, continues to focus on maintaining his championship-winning form.

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