Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan - Practice (Source: Getty)
Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve recently claimed that Max Verstappen appeared very downbeat and was not feisty anymore. The remarks follow a horrible race in Baku for the Red Bull driver, where the reigning champion was overshadowed by teammate Sergio Perez in terms of performance.
Before Perez's late-race collision with Carlos Sainz, he was fighting for the podium, and there had been moments where he had even battled for the lead. Verstappen, however, was nowhere compared to his teammate. He struggled with tire wear and then later in the race was overtaken by both George Russell and Lando Norris.
Verstappen ended the race in P5 after a double DNF for Perez and Sainz meant that he climbed two places. His race, however, was quite average, and former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve raised alarms about the Red Bull driver's mindset, stating that he was not as feisty anymore. He was quoted as saying on Sky Sports:
