Esteban Ocon thinks Max Verstappen does not ‘deserve’ what he’s heard people say about the Red Bull driver

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Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Red Bull racer Max Verstappen have not always shared a happy relationship throughout their respective careers on the Formula 1 grid so far.

Both have been regular presences in the paddock for the best part of the past decade. Ocon made his debut in the pinnacle of motorsport with Manor halfway through the 2016 season, while Verstappen started to cut his teeth at Toro Rosso from the start of the 2015 campaign.

Not one F1 season has since passed without Verstappen on the grid, while Ocon spent 2019 on the sidelines. Racing Point chose to release the Frenchman to welcome Lance Stroll, after Lawrence Stroll bought the team. Ocon later returned to the grid, driving for Alpine, in 2020.

Ocon’s penultimate race for Racing Point also saw one of the big flashpoints of Verstappen’s career to date. Verstappen shoved Ocon after the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix as he felt a crash between them on Lap 44 of 71, while the Frenchman tried to unlap himself, denied him a win.

Esteban Ocon does not think Max Verstappen ‘deserves’ the harsh criticism he ‘sometimes’ gets

Ocon is not the only driver to draw Verstappen’s wrath over the past decade, either. But the 28-year-old believes some of the criticism that is directed at the now-Red Bull driver can go too far. Ocon also feels the 27-year-old has shown he is “one of the best drivers” in history.

READ MORE: The best moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

Incidents with McLaren and Mercedes rivals Lando Norris and George Russell over the past year have especially seen Verstappen draw criticism. The Red Bull racer most recently went over the limit when Verstappen crashed into Russell in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix in June.

“Max is one of the best drivers the sport has ever had,” Ocon told Formule1. “Everyone knows he has incredible natural speed, that he’s incredibly skilled with the car and that he races instinctively when he makes a move.

“He’s always done that, even in his karting days when we often met. Max has the pure, raw talent needed to succeed. But there’s never any politics behind his aggressive racing style, that’s just how he races.

“Max pushes the boundaries, and sometimes he crosses them, and it backfires. But then he admits it. I think Max is an incredible driver, and I don’t think he deserves to be criticised as harshly as he sometimes is.”

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen puts himself in incidents that draw severe criticism

Verstappen is regularly praised for his efforts with Red Bull, which have seen him win the F1 drivers’ championship in each of the past four seasons. The Dutchman has also secured the third-most Grand Prix wins in history with 65, as well as 44 pole positions and 118 podiums.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

But the 27-year-old also regularly goes over the limits when he feels under pressure from a rival driver and while believing he has something to win, be it a race or a championship. He does not show the same animosity towards other drivers when the reward is not that great.

Lewis Hamilton regularly saw Verstappen push the limits during their title fight in 2021, with the Dutchman risking crashes in Imola and Spain to fire a message. Also, Verstappen brake-tested Hamilton in the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP to try and steal DRS while giving a place back.

Likewise, Charles Leclerc saw the wrong side of Verstappen when the Dutchman ran him off the road at the start of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Norris faced the same fate during his duels with Verstappen in the 2024 Austrian, United States and Mexico City Grands Prix, too.

Mercedes star Russell claimed Verstappen threatened to put him in a wall at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, as well, as the Red Bull ace believed the Briton had looked to earn him a penalty for an incident in qualifying. Their incident in Spain this year only added to Verstappen’s CV.