Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, believes that certain FIA officials "don't like" his son.
This follows the controversy surrounding Max's two 10-second penalties and two penalty points on his super license for his on-track battles with title rival Lando Norris during the Mexican Grand Prix.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher had harsh words for Max, saying, "He drives like a street dog. I suspect that Max wanted to take Norris out on lap 8."
Jos Verstappen admitted that while the second move against Norris "was perhaps a bit too much," it ultimately doesn't change anything in how Max will race. "Max will drive the way he wants," he told De Telegraaf. "He has to do this because the car is not good enough, and he's doing everything he can to win the title."
Verstappen senior then pointed to certain FIA stewards, claiming they may not be impartial. "Max is not going to adjust his driving style just because there are a few stewards who don't like him," Jos said, seemingly referring to Johnny Herbert, a frequent member of the FIA stewards' panel, and Tim Mayer, whose family has historical ties to McLaren.
Jos called for the FIA to evaluate its stewards, particularly to check for any "conflict of interest," adding, "The FIA should take a good look at the composition of the stewards, and who they put there, and whether there is any conflict of interest—for example, former drivers who have more sympathy for certain drivers or teams."
However, Jos emphasized that Max's real problem is not the stewards but the performance of the 2024 Red Bull car. "You could see that in the performance of his teammate," he remarked, noting how even Haas seemed faster in Mexico. "Even Haas was faster than Red Bull in this race."
Red Bull boss Christian Horner confirmed that the team would not appeal Verstappen's penalties.
Meanwhile, former driver Christijan Albers suggested that policing on-track behavior should be more relaxed, stating, "The people who keep doing this just need to be driven off the track."
