Verstappen Says ‘You’re Not A Real Fan’ If You Can’t Appreciate Red Bull Dominance

Posted on September 21, 2023 | by Charley Williams After Red Bull’s winning streak ended last week in Singapore, everyone hailed the race as one of the best races of the season, with a fierce battle at the front between Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. There were times when the top 5 were separated by around 5 seconds. Crazy. ???? But it probably won’t go down as one of Red Bull’s favourites, as both drivers struggled with the car throughout the weekend, and the best that they could do on Sunday was P5 and P8. However, for fans – it was enjoyable to see other teams fighting for the win, rather than the inevitable ‘drive off into the distance’ that we’ve seen many times from Verstappen this season. But for Max, none of that is important. Talking to the media, including The Race in Japan, Max was asked if he could see how an exciting race – with no Red Bull upfront – might bring more viewers back. He said: “Honestly, I have zero interest in that. “For me, it was just we got beaten in a very clear way. I don’t think about what is good for Formula 1. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad what was happening to Formula 1 because we were just better than everyone else. “And if people can’t appreciate that, then you’re not a real fan. “But that’s how it goes. That’s why I was also super relaxed about it because we didn’t perform out and other people did a better job than us. Then, of course, they deserved to win. They shouldn’t win because people say it’s boring that we are winning.” Many will say this response comes from losing out on another consecutive win for Verstappen, but honestly, he was as cool as a cucumber when discussing the winning streak. “I have no emotion. Yeah, we stopped winning for one race. S**t happens! I mean, we won 10 in a row before that. “So, of course, I would have liked to win there as well. But I also know that there is always going to be a day where you have done that weekend where then you’re not winning or things go wrong. And yeah, unfortunately, it was that weekend. We just move on and try again.” Will it be business as usual for Red Bull and Verstappen in Japan?