When there is such an intense fight for the title like the one experienced this year between Hamilton and Verstappen, it is inevitable that the fans “sympathize” for one or the other regardless of their motoring “faith”. It is an unwritten rule that applies to sport in general, but even more so for Formula 1 which historically has a large pool of Ferrari fans scattered around the world.
It has been three years that the Reds have not been among the protagonists for the title victory, since Sebastian Vettel tried to snatch the champion from Hamilton and Mercedes in the 2017-2018 two-year period. The seven-time world champion has historically been one of Red’s most feared rivals, since his debut with McLaren in 2007: in his first year in Formula 1 he was mocked at the last race by Kimi Raikkonen, but he had his revenge 12 months later in that final on the last lap evoked just this year in Abu Dhabi.
Yet it is easier for memory, in these cases, to remember recent events more vigorously: here, therefore, the diatribes between Verstappen and Ferrari – on the track but also off – have generated a real antipathy towards him from part of a good slice of Ferrari fans, also remarked a strong rivalry with the new Maranello idol, Charles Leclerc, since the days of go-karting.
So let’s try to rewind the tape and highlight the key episodes of this fatal relationship between Max and the Cavallino, which has cracked – so to speak – since his arrival at Red Bull in 2016.
Hungary 2016 – Aggressive defense against Raikkonen
The first close contact between Verstappen and Ferrari arrives in Budapest in 2016. In the battle for fifth position, Kimi Raikkonen attacks Verstappen in turn two on lap 57. Max moves to the right last to block the move of the Finn, who is unable to avoid it by damaging his front wing. The maneuver is really very close to the limit, but the Management considers the fact as a simple racing accident.
Belgium 2016 – Accident at the start with Vettel and Raikkonen
The second round arrives in Spa right after the summer race. Verstappen is in the front row with Supersoft tires against the Soft of Vettel and Raikkonen in the second row: despite the advantage of a softer compound, the two Reds have a better start and overtake the Dutch, who nevertheless throws himself into the Source. Outside, Vettel still tightens the trajectory and contact between the three is inevitable: Seb spins, while Kimi and Max damage their respective front wings. Here too the Race Direction lets it go without taking any action.
Belgium 2016 – Aggressive defense against Raikkonen
Also in Spa, in an attempt to recover after the initial accident, Verstappen and Raikkonen find themselves engaged for the 14th position after the interruption caused by Magnussen’s violent bang at the Raidillon. Kimi is on Soft tires and attacks Max who is on Medium: Iceman goes outside at the end of Kemmel, but Verstappen extends the braking and takes the Ferrari out to Les Combes. The scene is repeated on the next lap, with the Dutchman showing off his classic defensive maneuver (renamed the “Verstappen maneuver” at that time) moving to the right at the last stage when braking.
Kimi is a radio fury: “His only interest is to throw me completely off track. It’s just ridiculous “. Again, no action by the stewards.
Mexico 2016 – Chicane cut in defense against Vettel without returning the position
Endless controversy in Mexico City, go far beyond the podium ceremony. The battle is for the third position behind the Mercedes. Verstappen is the only one able to worry the Silver Arrows, but a drop in the performance of his tires in the final laps sends him straight into Sebastian Vettel’s clutches. On the penultimate pass, the German attacks the Dutchman in turn 1, with the latter going long and also cutting turns 2 and 3. The first indication of the Red Bull wall is to give the position to Ferrari, but Max continues and helps Ricciardo to rejoin himself and Vettel. The Australian, in fact, gets in with the Ferrari a few corners later, who defends himself by showing off the “Verstappen maneuver” (in the meantime banned by the FIA).
“You don’t see what I saw: it’s pushing me back towards Ricciardo!” Vettel’s appeal via radio, who then sends the race director to that country as well. The stewards, immediately after the checkered flag, penalize Verstappen for cutting the first chicane, promoting Vettel to third place. However, it is an ephemeral joy for Sebastian, in turn penalized for the defense against Ricciardo: in the end it is the Australian who ends the race on the podium behind the Mercedes of Hamilton and Rosberg.
Vettel will then be called upon to publicly apologize to Whiting, thus putting an end to a story that has left annoying aftermath.
Singapore 2017 – Crash at the start with Vettel and Raikkonen
The patatrac in which Verstappen is more victim than executioner. Shortly before the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, a shower of rain wets the track forcing everyone to use intermediate or extreme wet tires. In the front row are Vettel and Verstappen, in the second row there is Raikkonen. At the start the Finn snaps very well and slips inside, but Vettel closes too far to the left, contributing to Verstappen’s sandwich between the two Reds.
The consequence can only be one: retirement for all three and a clear road for Hamilton, who despite a mediocre qualification finds himself in the lead and with the victory served on a silver platter.
United States 2017 – Illegal overtaking in Raikkonen
Another close confrontation with Raikkonen, this time on the last lap. Kimi is defending third position on the last lap, but Verstappen dives inside at turn 17 making a spectacular overtaking. The Dutchman, however, went with all four wheels over the white line: deja vù of Mexico 2016 on the back podium in Austin: Raikkonen arrives accompanied by Matteo Bonciani, who instead calls Max back and communicates the penalty of five seconds.
China 2018 – Contact with Vettel
Perhaps the most critical sporting moment in the relationship between Max and the Red. The Safety Car caused by an accident between the two Toro Rosso in the last laps of the race revitalizes Red Bull which, unlike Ferrari and Mercedes, stops in the pits to mount new Soft tires. Verstappen and Ricciardo are very fast and destined for a double, but the Dutchman does not capitalize on a great opportunity. In an attempt to overtake Vettel as quickly as possible, Max ventures to overtake in the corner despite being far from the German. Result? The front left hits the right side of the Rossa # 5 sending both of them into a spin.
Verstappen has a ‘strike’ against Vettel. # CHNmovistarF1 pic.twitter.com/FK5VXPUkWo
– F1 en Movistar + (@ movistar_F1) April 15, 2018
Verstappen is penalized with 10 seconds, but what hurts the fans the most is the unconsciousness of the very young Red Bull talent, despite being aware that he was facing one of the duelists for the title (Vettel at that moment was leader of the standings with two wins out of two).
Austria 2019 – Fight with Leclerc for the victory
First real direct confrontation with Charles Leclerc. At Spielberg, for the first time in Formula 1, the two find themselves paired in the front row with the Monegasque on pole and the Dutchman second. At the start, Max starts very badly and loses several positions, but his race pace is impressive and comes up behind Leclerc a few laps from the checkered flag. Charles defends himself as best he can, also responding to an overtaking practically closed by his rival in turn 3.
Verstappen, however, has taken his measures well and on the next lap he takes Leclerc out to the same point, not without a contact between the front left of the Red Bull and the right of the Ferrari. The Monegasque is very dark in the face on the podium and does not even open the champagne, but in the end the Race Direction decides not to intervene, judging everything as a simple race accident.
United States 2019 – “Ferrari has stopped cheating”
2019 is also the year of suspicions about the Ferrari power unit, which will lead to the famous secret agreement between the Federation and Maranello for the revision of the project before the start of the 2020 season. On the eve of the United States Grand Prix, the FIA issues a new technical directive on engines and, just in the weekend in Austin, the Red suffers a lot on the straight compared to Mercedes and Red Bull, especially in light of what was shown up to a few weeks earlier.
At the end of the race comes the comment of Verstappen, who outspokenly states that “this is what happens when you stop cheating. These aspects have now been examined very carefully, but we must continue to keep an eye on the situation ”. An exit vainly retracted – there was talk of a translation error from the Dutch – and which was not digested by the leaders of the Cavallino. During the traditional Christmas dinner of the same year, the then CEO Louis Camilleri peremptorily ruled out a possible interest in Max, even in the long term.
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