Max Verstappen blasted Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff for suggesting that the Dutchman is benefitting from having a Red Bull car tailor-made to suit his skills.
Verstappen and Red Bull have so far enjoyed a banner year, with the pair claiming in Zandvoort last weekend their ninth consecutive triumph of the season.
Verstappen has not only left all his rivals in the dust, but he has also significantly distanced his own teammate Sergio Perez in the championship, and yet the Mexican is armed with the same hardware as the Dutchman.
Wolff admitted last weekend that he could not comprehend the performance gap between Perez – a six-time Grand Prix winner – and Verstappen.
"I mean, we’ve seen Max has destroyed every single team-mate that was with him," Wolff said.
"Whether it’s his ability to create a car around himself that is just very tricky to control – but fast if you can [control it] – and that makes those gaps."
On Thursday at Monza, Wolff's quotes were put to Verstappen who promptly dismissed them with contempt.
"Bulls**t comments," the Red Bull driver reacted. "It’s not like that.
"I just drive the car the fastest way possible. I’m not there to tell the guys 'give me more because that’s how I like it'.
"I just say to design me the fastest car and I’ll drive around that because every single year, every car drives a little bit differently."
Verstappen's view is supported by past comments from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner who has often said that the Milton Keynes-based outfit has never designed a car around its star driver's desiderata.
"People ask 'what is your driving style?'" added Verstappen. "My driving style is not something particular. I adapt to what I need for the car to go quick.
"For me, what is very important is that you are able to adapt your driving style to what the car needs."
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