Rejecting claims that Max Verstappen has been barred from participating in late-night sim racing during Formula One weekends, Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has backed down.
After a lackluster race at the Hungaroring, the Dutchman faced criticism for continuing to compete in the 24 Hours of Spa simulation race until approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, the day before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
With Verstappen racing for Team Redline on iRacing into the night at Imola, this is not the first time the three-time drivers’ champion has combined sim racing with a grand prix this season. Afterwards, he won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
But team principal Christian Horner said he would have private discussions with Verstappen regarding his radio behavior after the driver’s obscene outbursts on the team radio and his podium-damaging collision with Lewis Hamilton in Budapest.
The 61-time grand prix winner would be prohibited from sim racing late at night on grand prix weekends, according to Marko. Verstappen refuted this, and he has since backed down.
“Even though he has a totally different rhythm of life, we have agreed that in the future he will not drive well past 00:00,” the 81-year-old said on Sky Sports Germany.
“But still, you have to avoid things like this that are understandably attacked in public.”
Though he added, “It is a very strong recommendation,” Marko continued by revealing that it might not be an absolute ban after all.
Simulated racing in Hungary was not Verstappen’s intention.
Verstappen’s self-exoneration on the track and on team radio has been a major contributing factor in the backlash. The main distinction between Budapest and Imola was that.
The advisor made it quite evident that it could not go on if it interferes with Red Bull’s ability to meet its goals.
Verstappen did, however, note over the weekend that his exploits in sim racing might have some benefits.
Additionally, Verstappen had to step in at the last minute and had not originally planned to compete in the iRacing event, as Marko pointed out.
“If a race doesn’t go the way you want it to and you finish in fifth place, for example, then you have to avoid this kind of thing,” Marko said.We also know that his favorite pastime is sim racing. Additionally, he had no intention of driving a part in that race until a teammate was forced to withdraw.”