Max Verstappen will likely be “very tough to handle” if he isn’t given a aggressive automobile, Pink Bull have been warned by a former F1 group principal.
That’s the view of ex-Haas group boss Guenther Steiner, who believes four-time world champion Verstappen will likely be sad if Pink Bull fail to offer him with a automobile able to successful the world championship.
Verstappen goes into 2025 looking for to win a fifth consecutive drivers’ world title however McLaren and Lando Norris will begin the season as early favourites after their sturdy finish to final 12 months.
Steiner pointed to events in 2024 when Verstappen “reacted aggressively” to his group when his Pink Bull automobile was suffering from stability points across the mid-way stage of final season.
The Dutchman endured a 10-race streak with no victory amid Pink Bull’s aggressive struggles earlier than returning to successful methods in Brazil, and happening to clinch the championship with two races to spare.
“I’d say final 12 months, when he began to not win, he reacted, fairly aggressively,” Steiner informed CNN.
“However then at some stage, I feel he realised, ‘I have to be good about this and simply take residence as many factors as I can, even when I’m not successful a race’. So we have to see which Max we get.
“However for positive, if he hasn’t obtained a great automobile the place he can win, he’ll get very tough to handle as nicely, I’d say, as a result of he will likely be vocal about it that he’s not pleased. And an sad Max just isn’t a pleasant Max, as everyone knows.
“However he’s an excellent driver, I feel the perfect within the second. And for positive, he’ll put his effort in to win races, to win the championship once more, but it surely is not going to be straightforward, as we noticed final 12 months.”
How would Steiner cope with Verstappen?
Pink Bull are heading into the season opener in Australia off the again of a combined Bahrain pre-season take a look at, which the group admitted didn’t go as easily as they anticipated.
Steiner was requested how he would handle Verstappen if issues weren’t going Pink Bull’s approach.
“To remain calm, however don’t throw the toys out of the pram after two races if it doesn’t go your approach,” he replied.
“‘If it isn’t in our approach, to start with of the season, we have to work onerous to get again the place we need to be’, you already know, as a result of getting impatient and complaining doesn’t assist a group, doesn’t put the group collectively, and clearly that’s what you want whenever you’re not aggressive.
“However initially, I’d say, ‘simply let’s wait to see the place we’re at after which we see the place we need to go, and the place we are able to go’.”
