"That style of driving has brought him a lot in the past" - Max Verstappen's aggressive style of driving defended by his father after 2022 F1 Spanish GP

Max Verstappen’s aggressive driving style at the 2022 Spanish GP has been defended by his father Jos Verstappen, who attributed much of the reigning world champion's success to it.

The Red Bull driver was criticized for his behavior during the race when he was struggling due to his RB18’s DRS not working properly. In a blog post for Dutchman’s official website, Verstappen Sr. wrote:

“It was extremely hot. That makes it difficult for a driver to manage his tyres and then Max had problems with the DRS system that didn’t work.”

He further wrote:

“You could clearly hear the frustration in his voice. And I could also see it in the way he drove. Then he drives a bit more aggressively, he wants more. That style of driving has brought him a lot in the past.”

After being caught out by a gust of wind at Turn 4 during the early stages of the race, Max Verstappen was stuck behind his teammate Sergio Perez and the slower Mercedes of George Russell.

While his teammate let Verstappen pass, he was unable to overtake the Mercedes driver after his DRS failed to open on the straights. Evidently frustrated, he lashed out at his team for their apparent inability to get even the basics of the car right. This earned him a lot of criticism after the race. However, his team principal, Christian Horner, believes that his reaction was natural due to driving under immense pressure in the incredibly hot conditions.

Once the 24-year-old driver was put on an alternate strategy, he drove an incredible race and, helped out by Red Bull's team orders for his teammate, bagged his third consecutive victory of the 2022 season.

Max Verstappen currently holds the championship lead heading into Monaco.

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Jos Verstappen praises Red Bull's strategy to secure Max Verstappen’s victory at the 2022 Spanish GP

Jos Verstappen has praised Red Bull’s strategic choices that ensured the world champion's victory at last weekend’s Spanish GP. The former F1 driver believes that the Austrian team solved the DRS issues “insanely well,” guaranteeing that it secured the lead for both world championships.

He said:

“I have to say that I think Red Bull solved it [the lack of DRS] insanely well..”

He added:

“They changed the strategy. The decision to put Max on the softest tyre for the second time – in the third stint – gave him the chance to push. That way he grabbed his lead.”

Following his inability to overtake George Russell on track due to a lack of DRS, Red Bull put Verstappen on an aggressive three-stop strategy aimed at undercutting the Mercedes driver.

The strategy paid off in the end, and with Sergio Perez giving up the race lead, it ensured Max Verstappen's lead in the championship standings.