Following the three-time world champion’s criticism of the RB19, Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase called on the Dutchman to apologize after clinching pole position.
“I reckon you owe this ****box an apology” in deference to his driver’s less than complimentary comments about the car,” Lambiase said over the radio, as Verstappen secured P1 for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Sometimes you can make it better you know. I think that’s what we did so well done. Great job,” Verstappen responded.
Verstappen has been known to gripe about his car’s setup during practice sessions, as he strives to maximize performance in order to maintain his dominating run.
The Dutch driver’s concerns were so severe that Helmut Marko bet Red Bull team president Christian Horner €500 that Verstappen would not win pole.
Ted Kravitz recounted the pair’s hilarious conversation in his post-qualifying notes on Sky Sports.
“Did Max Verstappen finish FP3 and call the all-conquering Red Bull RB19, a you know what box? He must have done, because then that was why GP, his engineer, his long-suffering engineer, said to him ‘right Max, I think you owe this car an apology, not such a bleep box now is it?’” Kravitz told viewers.
Verstappen’s pole position for the season finale comes after an amazing season in which the Dutchman shattered a slew of records courtesy to the RB19’s blistering race performance.
Verstappen made new records in 2023 for the most victories in a single season, the most podiums in a single season, the most points collected in a single season, and the most consecutive wins in a single season.
On Sunday, Red Bull will also be celebrating, as Verstappen and Sergio Perez assisted the team in achieving their own first this year, claiming P1 and P2 in the drivers’ standings, as well as the constructors’ championship.
