Once again, the duo drew attention after their conspicuous dispute during the Spa qualification round. This was during various moments of Verstappen’s commanding victory on Sunday.
As Verstappen climbed to second position behind the initial leader and teammate Sergio Perez, Lambiase urged him to “Think wisely”. In response, Verstappen queried, “Are we both [the drivers] partaking in this or not?”
To this, Lambiase retorted, “Just adhere to my directions”, eliciting a fiery response from Verstappen who demanded, “I need to know if both cars are involved”, succeeded by his engineer firmly terminating the conversation with, “Max, please simply comply with my directives, thank you”.
Later, post Verstappen’s second and ultimate pitstop, Lambiase reprimanded him for jeopardizing the lifespan of his final set by exerting force to achieve the fastest lap.
Initially, Verstappen had achieved this before Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes seized it during the race’s concluding lap.
In response to questions about the radio exchanges after his triumph, Verstappen suggested the tone divergence was “possibly, a 50-50 situation in the messages”.
He then quipped to Sky F1: “I’m merely irritated they’re not keen on an extra pitstop. Therefore, I just aim to unsettle them a bit in hopes they might think I’ll insist on another stop.”
Gianpiero Lambiase, Race Engineer for Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
He continued, “I’m aware the team doesn’t appreciate another stop, but I enjoy bringing it up, to make them slightly anxious.
“And I prefer the reaction that ‘Absolutely not, we’re not doing that today’. It’s all good. We understand each other very well and maintain a strong relationship.”
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Verstappen further elaborated on the significance of his rapport with his race engineer.
“Establishing this connection is a crucial aspect of your performance. Not just with your race engineer, but also with those closely associated with you, such as your performance engineer, and similar roles,” he added.
“Certainly, as the years pass, you develop a stronger bond and get to know each other better.
“So, undeniably, if he were to be replaced or anything, it would be far from ideal.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Verstappen’s Pitstop Decisions
What disagreement took place between Verstappen and his race engineer Lambiase during the F1 Belgian Grand Prix?
During the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen and his race engineer Lambiase had a disagreement over pitstop strategies. Lambiase asked Verstappen to follow his instructions, but Verstappen wanted to know if both drivers were involved in the strategy. Later, Lambiase chastised Verstappen for pushing too hard after his final pitstop to set the fastest lap.
What was Verstappen’s response to questions about his radio exchanges post-victory?
Verstappen responded to the questions about his radio exchanges post-victory by saying the split in his tone was “probably, a 50-50 in the messages”. He also joked that he enjoys making the team a bit uncomfortable by mentioning an extra pitstop, which they do not like.
What is the importance of Verstappen’s relationship with his race engineer, according to him?
According to Verstappen, his relationship with his race engineer is very important for his performance. Not only with his race engineer but with everyone closely associated with him. Over the years, they’ve built a stronger relationship, and if his race engineer were to be replaced, it wouldn’t be ideal at all.
More about Verstappen’s Pitstop Decisions
- F1 Belgian Grand Prix Results
- About Max Verstappen
- Red Bull Racing Team
- Understanding Pitstop Strategies in F1
5 comments
i dont get why they don’t let max do extra pitstop? it’d make the race more exciting for us viewers!
Pitstops are a strategic game…Max might want an extra one but it doesn’t always make sense you know? Still, love his spirit!
Hamilton got the fastest lap in the end, just sayin 😉 max needs to focus more on his driving, less on pitstops!
Amazing! verstappen knows how to keep things interesting, even off the track! haha
max and lambiase are like an old married couple! Always arguing, but you can tell they respect each other loads