"He's actually a really nice guy out of the car” - Max Verstappen praised by New Zealand’s F1 driver Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson praised Max Verstappen's personality outside of racing, calling him a "nice guy" despite the rough character he is known for.

Verstappen is viewed as one of the most aggressive drivers on the track, challenging almost every single driver violently in an attempt to overtake or defend. Although he led most of the races with dominance in the past season, his competitive character has seemingly stood out for most people.

However, Red Bull's reserve driver Liam Lawson described him differently. He stated that Max Verstappen is a "really nice" person who is just extremely competitive on the grid. He told FOX Australia:

"He's actually a really nice guy out of the car. I think he can come across quite aggressive on TV, but he's just ultra competitive and he's a really, really good guy."

The Kiwi driver further revealed that Verstappen advised him during his temporary stint with RB (then AlphaTauri) during the 2023 F1 season.

"When I drove last year, he was one of the few guys that were really open to talk and give advice. He came in and said 'make sure you enjoy it, try and remember to enjoy it'. He was really good and open to giving advice. So it's cool to be able to have that, but also to be able to learn from him. Obviously, his driving is very, very good right now, to see all that data and learn from that is pretty cool," Lawson stated.

Max Verstappen has shared some heated moments with multiple drivers on the grid since his debut in 2015. However, after winning his first world championship in 2021, his racing style has seemingly become more disciplined and calm in the following seasons.

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Max Verstappen's chief mechanic Lee Stevenson departs from Red Bull ahead of 2024 F1 Japanese GP

Lee Stevenson spent 18 years with Red Bull, joining them on their second project (RB2) in 2006. Prior to that, he spent five years as a mechanic at Jordan Grand Prix, a former F1 team.

After the Australian GP, which was the first race in two seasons where Max Verstappen had a DNF, Stevenson took to Instagram to reveal that he was leaving the team ahead of their next race in Japan. His last working day was March 28th.

Stevenson was an integral part of the team, witnessing all of Verstappen's 56 victories since 2016. Although he did not reveal what his next steps exactly are, he stated that he was moving to a team "at the other end of the pit lane."

Chris Genty will replace Lee Stevenson in the team from the next Grand Prix.