Red Bull ‘can’t be angry’ with Max Verstappen for ignoring orders despite F1 Spanish GP penalty threat
Verstappen crushed the field as he claiꦜmed a dominant lights-to-flag victory in Barcelona on Sunday to rack up his⛄ fifth win in seven races so far in 2023.
After receivin🃏g a black-and-white flag for three track limits violations at Turn 5, Verstappen ignored multiple warnings from his team to claim the fastest lap bonus poin𒐪t in the closing stages of the race.
One more offence would have seen the double world champion pick up a five-second time penalty, though it would have had zero impact on his race given he finished 24 seconds clear of Mercedes’ 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton.
“We didn't want him to drive the fastest lap,” Red Bull motorsporꦉt advisor Helmut 🐓Marko said.
“You just can't prevent that. He had aꩲlready had three warnings for the track limits.
“You don't really risk anythi♕ng in such a situation anymore. But you can't be angry wit🗹h him.”
Explainin♋g why Red Bull did not want Verstappen to take unnecessary risks, team principal Christian Horner told Sky: "He and his engineer have a relationship like an old married couple.
“You could hear ♛them talking over the radio, almost like argui♍ng over which channel shall we watch.
"Having had three strikes, the next one was a time penalty and if there was a safety car or something like that, ꦏthat could have been extremely painful.
“The engineer is trying to ma💞nage Max and say, 'Don't take any risks, bring it homeജ and keep it between the lines'. Max, I think he wasn't aware he was exceeding the limits and he just wanted that extra point for the fastest lap.”
Horner added: “Of course, we'll talk about it – in a sitꦗuation where there was more to lose than that t♔hen we'd talk about it very firmly.
“All we can do is pass on the infor🍒mation and what he chooses to do with that information, he's in contro𝐆l of that.”
Verstappen, who now holds a 53-point lead over Red Bull teammate168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Sergio Perez in the championsh♏ip, downplayed his failure to follow team orders.
“Well, I kept it within the white lines, I ju🀅st went a bit faster on the lap. So I didn't do anything wrong,” he argued.
“They don't 🤪know how much pace I have in the car, right, when the🎃y tell me this is the fastest lap, don't bother, but I knew that I could do it.
“So yeah, I just had to keep it within th𒊎e white lines but this is something I think we can laugh about already.
“I was laughing about it with Helmut afteꦫr the race so I'm pretty sure that they're🔴 quite happy."
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the wo💦rld. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewไis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
