F1 drivers complained about 26-year-old to race director after practice yesterday

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Formula 1 drivers complained to race director Niels Wittich about Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after the second practice session in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Commentating on the final practice session of the season on Sky Sports F1, David Croft shared what he had been told about the meeting.

Max Verstappen might have already completed the most dominant season in Formula 1 history, but he isn’t taking it easy in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

He could earn his 19^th win of the season on Sunday but hasn’t had a straightforward event so far.

The Dutchman was forced to give up his car to a Red Bull rookie during the first free practice session.

Christian Horner wasn’t too worried as there wasn’t much more to be learned from the session, but it fired Verstappen up when he finally got on track.

After two red flags caused by Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg’s crashes, there wasn’t much time for drivers to learn much from the track.

Verstappen was getting very impatient and decided to try and overtake the two Mercedes in the narrow pit lane that runs underneath the track.

Croft has now shared that he heard other drivers had complained about Verstappen at the end of the practice session.

It’s not really a surprise given how little benefit it earned the 26-year-old, particularly as he tends to try and slow the pack down in practice once he’s overtaken them earlier in the lap.

Drivers complained about Verstappen to the race director after practice

At the start of the final practice session of the season, Croft said: “At the driver’s meeting last night, I’m told the drivers said to the race director Niels Wittich, no this can’t happen, we don’t like this, this is going to cause a bit of an accident.

“Which is why Niels Wittich has now said, yeah, qualifying, you can’t overtake in that pit lane exit.

“Why he hasn’t done it for practice Niels Wittich knows, I don’t.”

It’s no surprise that the drivers complained about Verstappen after the practice session as he was simply taking an unnecessary risk.

Recovering a car from the pit lane would be particularly difficult and further limit what was already a shortened session.

Croft was unimpressed when he saw his antics on commentary and it’s no surprise it’s been banned ahead of qualifying.

It’s unlikely to hamper the Red Bull although he didn’t look particularly comfortable with the car during FP3.