Source: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
[Saba Sports News] After the regrettable defeat in Saudi Arabia, Max Verstappen immediately became an interview terminator. When he again dismissed the media with a “thank you to the fans,” IMSA champion driver Dries Vanthoor dropped a bombshell: “Every complaint he makes is carefully designed psychological warfare.” After five races of this season, Verstappen surprisingly trails McLaren’s duo by 12 points. But what’s even more shocking is his dramatic change in attitude: at the Bahrain Grand Prix, he mocked “McLaren doesn’t deserve to be considered a rival”; at the Jeddah track, he angrily criticized the car for feeling like a brick; even when standing on the podium, he refused to discuss controversial rulings. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko expressed concern: “We might be losing him.” Verstappen’s response was even more intriguing – he interrupted F1 famous journalist Dave Flitcroft’s question: “You just focus on commentary, I just drive.” What’s more thought-provoking is Verstappen’s explanation of the gag order. He said, “It’s too dangerous to speak the truth now; any single sentence will be torn apart by social media.” This statement was interpreted as a protest against the F1 management’s new media policy. It is reported that the Liberty Media Group recently asked drivers to cooperate in producing more short video content, and Verstappen is the only top-tier driver who refused to sign up. For this, there are rumors circulating in the paddock: Verstappen is paving the way for his departure.