Formula One celebrates its drivers as fierce competitors pushing the limits of racing, so it seems somewhat inconsistent for the sport to express outrage over Max Verstappen’s passionate swearing at last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The focus on his choice of language might be missing the broader issue.
Verstappen unleashed a furious rant over his Red Bull team’s disappointing performance in Budapest, which included expletives like “bullshit” and “fucks,” leaving the team radio censor struggling to keep up. The 26-year-old world champion was frustrated by his car’s poor handling and understeer, compounded by strategy mistakes that led to a clash with Lewis Hamilton and a fifth-place finish.
When questioned about the criticism regarding his language, Verstappen’s response was blunt: “They can all fuck off.”
Despite Formula One’s attempt to remind teams about maintaining role model behavior and managing language, the real concern is Verstappen’s visible frustration and how unsettled he seemed. He faced unexpected competition from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who outperformed his Red Bull car—a stark contrast to his dominant past seasons where he won 19 of 22 races and faced little challenge from his teammate, Sergio Pérez.
- This season, although Verstappen has won seven of the first ten races and holds a 76-point lead over Norris, McLaren’s resurgence has introduced a level of competition he hasn’t faced since his intense 2021 title fight with Hamilton. Verstappen admitted that his frustration stemmed from feeling let down and powerless. He explained, “I’m very driven like everyone else in the team, we want to try to be perfect. When things aren’t going as they should, it’s normal to express frustration, especially when adrenaline is high and race conditions are tough.”