Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Max Verstappen has agreed with the team he will not drive sim racing events into the early hours on grand prix weekends anymore.
Verstappen came in for criticism from some fans, and ex-driver Nico Rosberg , when he competed in a sim racing event that lasted until 3am last Sunday morning, ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
The Dutchman finished fifth on a day of frustration which included a collision with Lewis Hamilton and public criticism of Red Bull’s strategy over the team radio .
He was clearly irritated after the race, saying that “people who say ‘you are too frustrated, you went too far in your comments, you disrespect the team’” can all f*** off” in a post-race media session .
And Marko, writing in a column for Speedweek , wrote: “Of course it didn’t take long for criticism to arise - no wonder, given that he [Verstappen] spends half the night playing sim racing.
“I have to say this: in Imola, he didn’t go to bed until three o’clock in the morning after a sim racing session - and then won the grand prix.
“Max has a different sleep rhythm and he had his seven hours of sleep. His late-night sim race on the Hungarian weekend only came about because a driver in his team cancelled.
Ahead of the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen insisted his sleep pattern is not disrupted by sim racing in the middle of the night.
“I stay on European or even UK schedule so I go to bed at like 4am,” Verstappen said, after winning the race in Jeddah.
“I wake up late. Also, I have my own sim team so naturally just catching up with them a bit. It’s just unwinding as well, I don’t have a rig here, I’m driving on my controller.
“It’s just fun not having to think about Formula 1 and just be with people that you know. Whenever I can, I do it. I woke up this morning and had an hour spare so just logged in and had a bit of fun.”
Verstappen often shares clips of himself gaming in Esports competitions - he has his own team, Team Redline - and won the virtual 24 Hours of Daytona in January.
The 26-year-old is set to take a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix as he looks to bounce back from the disappointment in Hungary.
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