Max Verstappen has angrily bitten back at Red Bull’s rivals amid heavy criticism they’ve received for breaking the £114million cost cap.
The Dutchman, who has just been crowned world champion for a second straight year, was in no mood to entertain his ‘hypocritical’ rivals ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin this weekend.
Speaking to Sky Italia, he said: ‘I think it’s mainly because we’re doing well.
‘They try to slow us down in any way possible. At the end of the day that’s how Formula 1 works. Everyone is a bit hypocritical but I’m fine with that. We just have to focus on our job.
Max Verstappen has angrily hit back at Red Bull’s fiercest critics amid the cost cap scandal
Verstappen called those that have slammed Red Bull ‘hypocritical’ ahead of the US Grand Prix
‘Nothing has been confirmed yet but as a team we know what we have to deal with and we are very clear with what we think is correct.’
Red Bull have been found guilty of spending more than the £114m budget cap allowed last season, reportedly by around £1.8m, and are waiting to see what sanction they receive from the FIA governing body.
The breach came in a season where Verstappen only beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title on a dramatic final raceday in Abu Dhabi.
Brit Hamilton, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been among Verstappen and Red Bull’s most outspoken critics in the wake of the decision.
Lewis Hamilton urged F1 authorities not to punish Red Bull lightly after breaking financial rules
Red Bull’s Verstappen, who won this season’s title two weeks ago in Japan, has insisted ‘they try to slow us down in any way possible’, without offering any evidence for his claims
He said: ‘I do believe the sport has to do something about this because if the FIA are quite relaxed with these rules then all the teams will just go over [the budget] and spend millions more.
‘Only getting a slap on the wrist is not great for the sport. They might as well not have a cost cap in future.
‘I do believe [FIA president] Mohammed [Ben Sulayem] and his team will make the right decisions. I have to believe that. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.
‘I am just focused on doing the best job I can, and what they have done is done. I am looking forward, and looking at how I can win another world championship.’
Verstappen practises ahead of the race in Austin this weekend, with the title already sealed
The FIA can give out a reprimand, fine, or even retrospectively deduct championship points.
The latter punishment could affect last season’s result which saw Verstappen deny Hamilton the championship at the campaign finale in Abu Dhabi. It is understood to be unlikely the 2021 title will be scrubbed.
It is understood the FIA have offered an ‘accepted breach agreement’ to Red Bull, which would see the team admit to their wrongdoing and lose the right to an appeal.
However, it would also mean there is no chance of Verstappen being deducted championship points last season, when Red Bull carried him to a hugely controversial last-lap title win which saw him best Hamilton by just eight points.
