Max Verstappen has revealed he cannot express his true emotions after being given a penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix because “people are not capable of accepting the truth”.
Verstappen, who started from pole position, was given a five-second penalty for cutting the corner at Turn 1 to get ahead of Oscar Piastri, allowing the McLaren driver to take the lead during the pit stops and he never looked back.
Australian driver Piastri has made it two wins in a row and three for the season to take top spot in the championship, 10 points ahead of team-mate Lando Norris, who currently leads the table, with Verstappen just two points behind.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third ahead of Norris in fourth.
Four-time world champion Verstappen said on the radio that Piastri “forced me to quit” and expressed his disagreement with the decision after the race.
“The problem is that I can't express my point of view on this issue because I could get a penalty, so it's better not to discuss it,” Verstappen said.
“It all happened very quickly. I don't want to talk about it because anything I say could backfire.
“It has to do with social media and the way the world works. I'd rather not speak out. Sometimes what you say can be misunderstood or interpreted differently.
“You can't share your opinion because it's not valued as much as it used to be. People can't handle the truth.
“It will be better for me if I don’t have to talk too much, as it saves time.
“I understand that there is no room for dissatisfaction here, and at the same time there is no room for criticism.”
After taking his penalty, Verstappen was three seconds behind Piastri and was unable to close the gap.
Piastri, for his part, had the opposite view of the incident, saying: “I know I had to brake late, but I was confident my car had enough space to go through the first corner.
“I braked as late as I could to stay on the track. The way it was handled was correct.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner appeared at the scene with printouts he believed were evidence
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
