"I never thought before someone from British media will defend Max Verstappen": Fans react to F1 commentator's staunch defense of the Red Bull driver

F1 fans were left shocked when Sky Sports commentator David Croft defended Max Verstappen's aggressive tactics on the track. The Red Bull driver has faced criticism throughout his career for his unyielding approach on the race track and faced the ire of several drivers and media alike.

Speaking at Autosport International 2025, David Croft believed that Max Verstappen's driving style made him a "winner" and was similar to other greats like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, saying:

“I’ve always liked Max. I’ve liked him since he first drove in Japan, I think it was, in FP1, because he’s got so much talent, and I appreciate talent. Michael Schumacher, we love Michael Schumacher. We love Lewis Hamilton. They’re winners, they’re champions. We love Sebastian Vettel. But he (Max Verstappen) did what he had to do to win, and if his teammate got in the way of that and was collateral damage, as it were, then so be it, that didn’t matter. He was a winner. And maybe we just have to appreciate that Max is a bit of a winner."

F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to David Croft's comments on X, with one fan claiming:

"Kingstappen. I never thought before someone from British media would defend Max."

"That's because he's in public. Max called him on it and I don't care. It's Sulayem that people need to be focused on. This is a distraction," another said.

"This is so weird to watch," another added.

"Max delivers results; Red Bull’s expectations met. Crofty speaks facts!" another fan said.

"He’s more reasonable than people make him out to be," a fan wrote.

"Fearing for his job, is he? a fan claimed.

The Dutch driver is unrelenting in his defense of a position and does not give an inch to his rivals, facing criticism for the same. Ahead of the Qatar GP last year, the Dutch gave his take on the stance and also opened up on the British media's criticism of him.

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Max Verstappen gives his reply to his critics questioning his mentality

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen gave a direct response to his critics in the media who were questioning his mentality. He said that most of the criticism around him was 'not fair'.

There have also been speculations and claims of a 'British bias' against Max Verstappen, and in light of the same, the Dutch said:

"The problem in F1 is that 80 to 85% of the media is British and I did feel that some things which were written about me were not fair. At the end of the day, yes, [I have four titles] and they are the ones in front of a microphone. I speak out. I don’t care. If I don’t agree with something I will tell you.”

Max Verstappen will focus his attention on the upcoming 2025 campaign and become a five-time F1 world champion and the second driver to do it in consecutive years.