Max Verstappen responds to Alex Albon’s comments about his ‘Call of Duty’ driving style

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Max Verstappen has been levels above his last three teammates at Red Bull. Not since Daniel Ricciardo (2016-2018) has he faced a consistent internal threat.

Pierre Gasly succeeded Ricciardo after his move to Renault, but he lasted only half a season. Red Bull vowed to back Gasly but his poor performances became too great a burden.

The Frenchman scored just 63 points before the 2019 summer break, around a third of what Verstappen managed (181). He was demoted back to Toro Rosso, with Alex Albon the beneficiary.

But Albon himself only lasted 18 months. While Verstappen finished third in the 2020 championship behind the two Mercedes, the Thai driver fronted the midfield in seventh.

He dropped off the F1 grid altogether for the 2021 campaign before returning with Williams in 2022. He’s since rebuilt his confidence and his reputation.

Sergio Perez has lasted longer than Gasly and Albon combined – he’s now three and a half seasons into his Red Bull career. But in a sense he’s been fortunate that the team have won five combined championships in that time, taking some of the attention away from his long-term inconsistency.

Max Verstappen admits his driving style may not be ‘favourable’ for Alex Albon and co.

Reflecting on his time at Red Bull, Albon said that the car is ‘completely built around’ Verstappen. While he understands why the Dutchman is the number one driver, the problem is that his style is so unique.

Albon said that the front axle was ‘so sensitive’ that it reminded him of ‘playing Call of Duty’ with a video game controller. Speaking to formula.hu, Verstappen offered his response.

He admits that he wants the front end to be as responsive as possible, as long as it doesn’t make the rear too unstable. And while he finds this ‘natural’, he accepts that it may not be ‘favourable’ to his teammates.

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

“For my part, I just like it when the front of the car turns well,” he said. “I like it to turn in quickly and very definitely, but of course everything has to be in balance.

“We can’t just put everything on the front axle and expect the rear of the car to follow suit. You have to try to find the middle ground, but of course it is possible that my middle ground is different from others.

“Everyone has their own driving style, so what works for me might not work for someone else. But other drivers drive differently and they are also very fast. So for me, the way my car behaves is completely natural, because I like this kind of car, but maybe it is not favourable for others. That’s how it works.”

The moment David Coulthard realised Max Verstappen doesn’t think like ‘normal people’

Among the 20 drivers, Verstappen is truly unique, whether that’s his driving style or his attitude. He won the first of his three titles with a dramatic last-lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

David Coulthard expected Verstappen to make a DRS-assisted move on the back straight. But instead, he dived down the inside of Hamilton at the hairpin, seemingly catching him by surprise.

At that point, Coulthard realised that Verstappen doesn’t think like ‘normal people’. His approach came under scrutiny earlier this year when he hit Lando Norris at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix.

But Alain Prost says Verstappen is just as ruthless as Michael Schumacher. And while that makes him a divisive figure, it’s impossible to argue with his track record overall.