With his incisive driving and no-compromise approach to racing, Max Verstappen has instilled a much-needed burst of fresh air into Grand Prix racing.
But the young Dutch prodigy has also come under fire from some of his colleagues, notably Sebastian Vettel, who believe his aggressive defending and overtaking approach puts them at risk.
Verstappen's father Jos believes complaints and criticism are vain however, as the Red Bull driver is on a mission to race and win, and objections from his colleagues will change nothing.
"We are not here for somebody else," said Verstappen.
"We are here for ourselves, we are driving for Red Bull, and we want to have the best possible result for them. Whatever people think and if they are pissed off – they have to remember he is here to race.
"It was the same with Seb [Vettel in Brazil]. I think it was a good move. He tried to overtake Seb at Turn 4 it didn't work out. Seb pushed him a little bit wide and Max did the same, and that is what people want to see.
"Sometimes it works out for Max, sometimes it works out for Seb. This is what we want to see."
Still, Verstappen's ambitious and determined attitude prompted Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to phone the youngster's father on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix, to make sure he was fully aware of what was at stake with regard to the epic championship battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
"We are not there to influence anything," Verstappen senior insists.
"We're just here to do our own race like what you saw in Brazil, we are not here to take anybody out.
"We are racing for Red Bull and they have done an incredible job with Max. He loves it here, and he enjoys the racing."
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