Max Verstappen was lucky not to be penalized in the 2021 F1 Brazilian GP, according to Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey recently discussed Max Verstappen's driving in 2021 and opined the Dutchman was lucky not to be penalized during the Brazilian GP that year. He also talked about how Mercedes developed their car that season and put up a strong challenge in the championship.

Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton shared a fierce championship battle in the 2021 F1 season. Although the former turned out the eventual winner of the drivers' championship, the show of power from both drivers as well as their respective teams was spectacular. There were multiple hair-raising incidents throughout the season that came to symbolize the drivers' battle for many. The crashes in Monza and Silverstone are widely remembered.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Newey said Verstappen's driving was aggressive in the 2021 season. He said that the Red Bull driver and team, leading the championship before the 2021 British GP, began to feel the pressure following collisions in Silverstone and Hungaroring as they lost their lead.

"He'd been the clear championship leader going into Silverstone...was then out of the race. And then more or less out of the race in Hungary when he got hit by Valtteri. Not intentional at all but still got hit and hardly scored any points.

"Gone from easy championship leaders to now feeling a bit more pressure. Mercedes managed to find quite a lot more pace out of that car towards the end of the season." (1.09:10)

Speaking of that season's Sao Paulo GP in Brazil, Newey added,

"Max was starting to feel a little bit of pressure. In reality, he was probably lucky not to get a penalty from his drive in Brazil," he added.

There was a moment during the race when Verstappen pushed Hamilton off the track, but he wasn't penalized for it.

Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen had been together at Red Bull for a long time. However, earlier in 2024, the team announced Newey's departure. It was recently announced that he will be moving to Aston Martin.

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"I would have liked for Adrian to stay" - Max Verstappen on Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull

Adrian Newey is one of the most successful designers in F1. He has designed 14 championship-winning cars and continues to do so. Red Bull's 2023 car, the RB19, was one of the most dominant cars in the sport's history.

Speaking after the 2024 Italian GP at Monza, Max Verstappen said he would want Newey to stay in the team:

"I’ve always said that I would have liked for Adrian to stay, always.

"But it’s not about that now, because last year we had a great car, which was the most dominant car ever, and we basically turned it into a monster. So we have to turn it around."

Newey will join Aston Martin in the 2025 F1 season. Although he was earlier linked with Ferrari and Williams, the announcement regarding the Brit's new destination was made earlier today.