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Zak Brown Labels Verstappen “a Bruiser,” Says He Has Crossed the Line

The comments land before Las Vegas with Verstappen 49 points behind Lando Norris, facing possible elimination.

Overview

  • Brown told The Telegraph, as reported by F1i, that Verstappen has overstepped in wheel-to-wheel fighting and cited the 2021 Interlagos duel with Lewis Hamilton as a key example.
  • RacingNews365 reported that a reader poll delivered a strong majority rejecting Brown’s description of Verstappen as a “bruiser.”
  • Brown’s remarks arrive with a clear stakes scenario: Verstappen can be knocked out of the title race at the Las Vegas Grand Prix if he is out-scored by Norris by nine points.
  • In excerpts highlighted by Crash from his new book, Brown argues Red Bull is “afraid” of Verstappen, contending the team is built around him and avoids pairing him with a potentially threatening teammate such as Carlos Sainz.
  • Debate over Verstappen’s racecraft persists, with past commentary even from Red Bull’s Adrian Newey acknowledging he went too far in defending at the 2021 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.