F1 News: Martin Brundle Questions Max Verstappen's "Villain" Status After He was Booed In Abu Dhabi

"I don’t understand why he’s still seen as the villain, but the fans will make up their own minds,” said Martin Brundle

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky F1 Pundit Martin Brundle questioned Max Verstappen's "villain" status after fans booed him in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi- a reaction that he believes was totally uncalled for. 

The 2023 F1 season has concluded and Verstappen can reflect with pride on his season marked by unparalleled dominance, securing victory in an impressive 19 out of the 22 Grand Prix races. 

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With a total of 575 points, he clinched his third World Championship title, surpassing his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez who finished as the runner-up, by more than double the points.

Through the course of the 2023 season, especially the second half, Verstappen made it clear that he is all about racing and nothing else. He was least interested in the "99% show" that the Las Vegas GP was according to him. 

While Brundle appreciates Verstappen's straightforward methods, he believes that adopting a slightly more diplomatic approach could have been more beneficial. The overwhelming dominance showcased by Verstappen has led to various questions about how one driver could cause the entire championship to turn in his favor.

The one-sided outcome of the 2023 season has resulted in spectators booing Verstappen, and Brundle observed a similar reaction in Abu Dhabi. He expressed uncertainty about the reasons behind such negative sentiments in his Sky F1 column. He wrote:

“I meet fans and read the feisty comments people like to amplify on X, saying what a boring season it was, presumably because one combination dominated.

“From my perspective I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed such a level of close racing, overtakes, and jeopardy through the entire field, which further closed as the season progressed.

“We saw it many times in qualifying if the established front runners and big guns weren’t fulfilling their potential and delivering the lap times, pretty much any driver on the grid could out-qualify and even out-race them in their midfield cars. We didn’t have a tail-end this year.

“Max didn’t get everything right, for example when the drivers walked out to the grid for the traditional end of season group photograph there were some boos as he emerged, as we’ve heard at some other tracks too.

“Of course, he was feisty and a little wild as a teenager when first racing in F1, but he sorted that out and is mostly a model of calm out on track now, and as fair as anybody else when it comes to hard racing. I don’t understand why he’s still seen as the villain, but the fans will make up their own minds.”