Max Verstappen has let rip at his critics once more after a sensational run in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen cut an agitated figure throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix last week with those frustrations boiling over during the race.
He repeatedly made angry outbursts over team radio and clashed with Lewis Hamilton on track with commentators suggesting his participation in a late-night sim race led to his short temper.
Verstappen responded to the critics after the race by telling them to ‘all f*** off’.
Max Verstappen didn’t hold back in attacking his critics
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The three-time world champion was back in action in Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix where he was the quickest of anybody by some margin.
Charles Leclerc was Verstappen’s closest rival in qualifying with the Red Bull star ending up six-tenths quicker than his rival.
A 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his engine allowance means Verstappen will start Sunday’s race in 11th.
But he was delighted with his display in Spa and used it as an opportunity to take another dig at his critics.
“Last week I drove in the rain a lot in the simulator here at Spa,” he said.
“They can all f*** off. But yeah, it was a good day.”
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko appeared to suggest that Verstappen had retrospectively been banned from late-night sim racing during Grand Prix weekends following the race in Hungary.
However, Verstappen denied any such ban was in place after discussions with the team.
“We talked about it, I said, ‘You don’t need to worry, there are no other races coming up’. But no, it’s not that I have a ban,” Verstappen said.
Max Verstappen was comfortably fastest in qualifying
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“I don’t need to tell them what to do in their private time over the weekend, and it’s the same for me.
“I raced until 3am – it’s not something new and, for me, it’s something very important in my life. There are no other sim races coming up anyway so no-one has to worry about that.
“But it’s always when you don’t win the race that you blame it on, ‘You were staying up until 3am’, or, ‘You’re one kilo overweight’.
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Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s race in 11th
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“There are always things to make up that you can argue about when you don’t win a race, but for example in Imola I did win the race – both of them.
“For me, this is not something new, I’ve been doing this since 2015, so for me it’s not something that is any different in my preparation.
“I’ve won three world championships – I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do.”
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