Jos Verstappen has lashed out against the FIA in the wake of his son's penalized clash with championship rival Lando Norris in last weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.
The father of Max Verstappen believes there's a pattern of bias against the Red Bull driver by those officiating in the stewards' office.
Verstappen was the recipient of two 10-second penalties in last Sunday's race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez where the stewards took exception with the Dutchman's aggressive tactics against Norris.
While many felt the penalties were justified, Jos Verstappen predictably saw things differently. The former F1 driver saw the sanctions as excessive and reflecting a long held prejudice against his son, also noting a potential conflict of interest among the stewards.
“The FIA should take a good look at the composition of the stewards, of whom is appointed there and whether there are conflicts of interest,” Verstappen Sr told Formule1.com.
“For example former drivers who are more sympathetic to certain drivers or teams.”
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Jos' comments likely refer to former F1 driver and Sky F1 pundit Johnny Herbert, who has been openly critical about Max Verstappen's driving in the past.
Furthermore, the presence on the panel of Tim Mayer – the son of the late Teddy Mayer, one of McLaren's original co-founders – may have also been troubling for Verstappen Sr. although it's worth recalling that the latter has often questioned the FIA's impartiality in the past, with no evidence to support his claims.
Verstappen's uncompromising approach has ruffled feathers for years. Figures like Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have long criticized the Red Bull charger's aggressive tactics, which have led to close calls and collisions with several of his high-profile colleagues, including Lewis Hamilton.
Ex-F1 driver and FIA Steward Johnny Herbert.
Wolff and others hope that the recent penalties may finally lead to a more measured approach from the reigning world champion, one that doesn't hinge on forcing rivals off the road.
However, Jos Verstappen made it clear that his son has no intention of changing his style to appeal to critics or stewards.
Jos insists that Max is simply maximizing his performance in a car he feels is currently inferior to the competition. Despite the penalty, he considers the race a success because Norris, his main competitor, did not win.
“You can speculate about it for a long time,” he remarked. “But in the end it makes no difference.”
“Max drives the way he wants anyway. He has to, because the car is just not good enough for now.
“He's doing everything he can to win the title, and he's really not going to change his driving style just because there are a few stewards who don't like him.”
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