Max Verstappen once told furious Sebastian Vettel to ‘go back to school’ after hearing one of his radio messages

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Max Verstappen is currently deciding what to do with his Formula 1 future as decision time arrives ahead of the 2026 regulations.

The Dutchman might have a few options on the table, despite being under contract with Red Bull until the 2028 season.

Verstappen sits third in the drivers’ championship and has performed well in an underwhelming RB21. Winning two races in that car is no mean feat.

The Formula 1 driver market is in full swing, and Mercedes have been linked closely with a move for the 27-year-old.

Red Bull can ‘guarantee’ Verstappen will stay for 2026 by making sure he’s still in the top three of the standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

One move may already have helped in their fight to retain this superstar driver, with a 2024 Red Bull masterstroke possibly securing Verstappen’s future.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen told 2026 is ‘cancelled’ as engine fears aren’t the only thing Red Bull ‘simply don’t have’

Max Verstappen told Sebastian Vettel to ‘go back to school’ after the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix

Red Bull have ‘legitimate concerns’ behind the scenes heading into 2026, but wherever they start from, they can recover from.

Back in 2015, they had a miserable campaign, failing to win a race. The following season, that tide had turned, and they were second fastest again.

Along the way, they clashed with some old friends. The 2016 Mexican Grand Prix in particular was a heated affair.

In a tense battle with Sebastian Vettel, Verstappen cut through turn one to stay ahead. Instead of surrendering the position, he remained ahead, holding him up and allowing teammate Daniel Ricciardo to catch up.

Vettel didn’t think it was fair and took to his radio to complain, but Verstappen didn’t agree with his views after the race.

“Sebastian just starts shouting on the radio, using very bad language,” he told the F1 website. “I think he has to go back to school or something.

“I will speak to him, because he is a very frustrated guy at the moment. First of all shouting on the radio like a child, and then [gesturing] after the start finish – even more childish.”

READ MORE: Red Bull chief Max Verstappen doesn’t trust is now ‘vulnerable’ after Christian Horner sacking

Did Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel clash again in Formula 1?

Verstappen and Vettel are undoubtedly the two greatest Red Bull drivers of all time, holding four titles each at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Recently, rumours have tied Vettel to replacing Helmut Marko as the team’s advisor. However, this has been rebuffed by Ralf Schumacher, who believes that Red Bull have ‘rejected’ Vettel.

Verstappen mentioned that there would always be a spot open for the German at their team if he wanted it, and nowadays, holds a good relationship with him.

Compared to other drivers of their time, the two didn’t really clash that much on track. They never crashed into each other, and were largely respectful.