Why an angry Max Verstappen once called an FIA steward an ‘idiot’ after being stripped of F1 podium

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Max Verstappen has developed a lot in 10 seasons since joining Formula 1 and is the current four-time reigning champion.

The Dutchman has faced competition from Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in recent years but fought them off in intense fights.

Verstappen was angry at the Singapore Grand Prix last year after Red Bull misinformed him about a rival strategy.

It was another example of things boiling over for the 27-year-old, but he has calmed down and matured from his early days when he used to vent his frustration on a regular basis.

Verstappen came to blows with his rivals for an aggressive driving style and it even led to a rule against his defensive tactics at one point in 2016.

Team boss Christian Horner says Verstappen possesses talent he has never seen after overseeing their recent successes. Calming his temperament down has helped him to develop on and off the track.

Max Verstappen once called an FIA steward an ‘idiot’ after losing United States Grand Prix podium

Back at the United States Grand Prix in 2017, Verstappen found himself embroiled in a tough fight with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen for third place.

In a last-gasp move, he luged down the inside of the ‘Iceman’ at turn 16, completing an overtake to steal a spot on the podium.

Just before the drivers were due to collect their trophies, the FIA announced a five-second penalty for his move, stripping him of his honours.

READ MORE: Nico Rosberg would ‘understand’ if Max Verstappen made one choice when his Red Bull F1 contract ends

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the event, he was furious with the way the incident was handled and called an FIA steward an ‘idiot’.

“We had a great race, but with these stupid decisions you really kill the sport,” he said.

“It’s one idiot steward up there who always makes decisions against me. At the end of the day, everybody is running wide everywhere, there are no track limits.”

Has Max Verstappen’s F1 approach truly changed?

Verstappen hasn’t been involved in much Formula 1 controversy over the last few seasons, but that may be down to one factor.

Because he has dominated the Drivers’ Championship so much, he hasn’t had much competition to face on track.

The moment he faced some pressure from Norris in 2024, he came to blows at the Austrian, United States and Mexico City Grands Prix.

Giedo van der Garde did love Verstappen’s mature response to Norris, despite their exchange getting quite heated.

READ MORE: Christian Horner ‘confirmed’ Red Bull held talks with 32-win F1 driver amid Max Verstappen uncertainty

Before that, Hamilton was the last person to truly challenge him and they clashed multiple times during their 2021 title fight too.

So was the recent quiet period down to Verstappen maturing more with age, or was it down to him facing less competition?

2025 is going to provide a fantastic insight as the teams close up in the final year of the technical regulations. It could be the year that old habits return to the fold.