Max Verstappen has expressed his dissatisfaction with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri after a controversial moment during the Grand Prix of Great Britain on Silverstone. The Dutchman, who achieved a disappointing fifth place, was furious about a question that Piastri asked Nico Hülkenberg in the Cooldown Room after the race. Verstappen called the question “in common” and called Piastri to show more respect for his colleagues. The incident, which took place during a weekend in which Hülkenberg achieved his first Formula 1 stage, has heavily heated the mood in the paddock and led to fierce discussions on social media.

The Grand Prix of Great Britain was a memorable race, not only because of the rainy conditions and the victory of Lando Norris, but also by Hülkenberg’s historical performance. The German, who finally stood on stage after 239 races with a third place for Sauber, was seen by many as the star of the weekend. Verstappen, a good friend of Hülkenberg, was visibly happy for him and celebrated the moment exuberantly. However, the atmosphere changed when Piastri, who received a time penalty of ten seconds for a controversial removal action behind the Safety Car, asked a question that was inappropriate according to Verstappen. Although the exact content of the question was not made public, sources suggested that it was a sensitive remark about Hülkenberg’s long waiting on a stage.

Verstappen, who himself had a difficult race after a spider and problems with the adjustment of his Red Bull, spoke with the international media afterwards. “It’s not good to ask something like that,” he said fiercely. “Show respect for others instead of asking a sensitive question. Nico deserves this moment, and everyone should celebrate that.” His words reflect the close bond between the two drivers, who have been sharing a friendship for years. On social media, especially on X, fans are praising loyalty, with messages such as: “Max always supports his friend, class!” Others criticized Piastri, where a user wrote: “Oscar must learn to keep his mouth shut at such moments.”

The controversy surrounding Piastri’s question comes on top of the criticism he already received for his actions on the track. During the race, Piastri suddenly braked hard behind the Safety Car, which meant that Verstappen had to divert to prevent a collision. The stewards ruled that Piastri violated the rules by driving irregularly, which led to a time penalty and two penalty points on his license. Piastri himself disagreed with the punishment and expressed his frustration, which further fueled the tensions with Verstappen. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella even suggested that Verstappen may intentionally overlook the situation to provoke a punishment for Piastri, an accusation that Red Bull dismissed as unfounded.

The race on Silverstone attracted 500,000 spectators and was a spectacle, partly due to the rain that caused unpredictable circumstances. While Norris won his home race and Hülkenberg took his long -awaited stage, Verstappen struggled with the performance of his RB21. He acknowledged that Red Bull has lost ground this season to McLaren, which dominates with Norris and Piastri thanks to superior tire management and innovative brake cooling. Verstappen called on his team to investigate why recent updates did not produce the desired result, and emphasized that the backlog of 61 points at the Piastri championship leader is difficult to catch up.

The eruption of Verstappen against Piastri emphasizes the intense rivalry in Formula 1, where personal and professional tensions often come together. Hülkenberg’s stage was seen by many, including Verstappen, as a triumph of perseverance, and Piastri’s attempt to overshadow that moment with an inappropriate question was bad. On X, fans went loose, with some who called Piastri’s action “unsporting” and others who praised Verstappens passion. While Formula 1 is preparing for the next races, the dynamics between Verstappen, Piastri and Hülkenberg remain a fascinating subplot. For now, Verstappen seems determined to defend his friend and keep the sporting values ​​high.