Max Verstappen banned by Red Bull from sim racing before F1 races

Red Bull have told three-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen to stop sim racing into the early hours before races after facing a backlash since last weekend’s fiery Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Helmut Marko defended Verstappen’s foul-mouthed outbursts in Hungary after they were linked to the Dutch driver gaming until 3am Sunday morning.

But Marko has confirmed that the team have reached an agreement with Verstappen for him to avoid any sim racing the night before a Grand Prix, with the championship threatening to turn on its head after McLaren dominated the weekend that saw several confrontational messages between the 26-year-old and his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

“Max Verstappen was rather thin-skinned this weekend and, of course, it didn’t take long for criticism to arise — no wonder, since he spends half the night playing sim racing,” Marko wrote in a column for Speedweek.

“I have to say that in Imola he didn’t go to bed until three in the morning after a sim-racing session — and then won the grand prix. Max has a different sleep pattern and he had his seven hours of sleep.

“His late-night sim appearance on the Hungary weekend only came about because a driver in his team had dropped out. Nevertheless we agreed that he would no longer run simulations so late in the future.”

Verstappen heads to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps facing a 10-place grid penalty as he is expected to exceed his engine allowance for the season, putting him at an immediate disadvantage to championship rival Lando Norris.

Yet the fallout from last week’s race in Hungary – which saw Verstappen beaten by both McLarens and collide with former Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton before finishing fifth – will drag on when Verstappen is highly likely to be quizzed on his gaming antics when he speaks in Spa on Thursday.

Red Bull team principal Horner and adviser Marko spoke out last weekend after Sky Sports commentator David Croft repeatedly linked angry exchanges between the reigning F1 world champion and his colleagues with his participation in the ‘24 Hours of Spa’ on popular sim-racing game iRacing.

Verstappen also told his critics “they can all f— off” after it was suggested afterwards he had been disrespectful to his team.

That was after Croft had said during commentary: “I don’t want to sound too critical, but Max Verstappen is sounding like a man who stayed up late last night doing a sim race, which he did, and then got up early this morning to do a sim race, which he did, rather than getting a good night’s sleep in Budapest, which by the sounds of it, he could probably have done with.”

Verstappen won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola despite clips of him gaming into the early hours of race day going viral.

Speaking to Sky Sports after a race which saw McLaren finish first and second, Verstappen said: “Of course I’m not happy. On a day when we’re already lacking pace compared to McLaren, you try to hope we do the right things with the strategy, which today was not the case.”

He also defended his fiery radio exchanges, saying: “I don’t think we need to apologise. I just think we need to do a better job.

“I don’t know why people think you cannot be vocal on a radio. This is a sport. If some people don’t like that then stay home.”

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