Red Bull star Max Verstappen called rival Esteban Ocon a “stupid idiot” over the team radio as they fought for position at Turn One during qualifying at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The pair were jostling to get in front and the Alpine driver was unhappy with how reckless the Dutchman was when entering the corner.
There was some previous fighting on Turn 14 as several drivers including Verstappen and Ocon attempted to find a gap, before they nearly collided just moments later.
Both of their laps were ruined though Verstappen was able to qualify for Q3 at a time when both McLarens were surprisingly eliminated alongside Ocon, as tempers boiled over on the team radios.
“That’s a joke. Verstappen diving in Turn One like crazy,” Ocon said as he was disappointed with how Verstappen drove on the inside of the corner. The Red Bull man then fumed over his radio by saying: “What a stupid idiot.”
Verstappen has shown his frustrations throughout the weekend in Nevada as he has been disappointed with how the circuit has been constructed and the spectacle being prioritised rather than the actual action, in his opinion.
“No, no,” Verstappen said after Friday’s practice session when asked if he enjoyed his trip around Las Vegas, before adding: “I’ve had better tracks in my life. I mean, I already said that yesterday, there’s nothing new that I discovered or whatever. But yeah, we just get on with it.”
