Max Verstappen was notably critical of Red Bull during the recent Grands Prix. In the aftermath of his late retirement at Silverstone, he also came into conflict with his team. Yet the organization remains praising of the positive impact of the Dutchman. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane notes that his team also benefits from Verstappen’s presence, who serves as an important role model for young drivers.
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“He (Verstappen, ed.) undoubtedly has a positive influence on the entire organization,” said Permane in an interview with RN365. “Moreover, young drivers look up to him; they all want to be like him. That is very valuable.” With his approach and professionalism, Verstappen is an important example for aspiring F1 drivers, according to Permane. “Look at how he prepares, how calm he is, and how he communicates with his engineer; there is really nothing to criticize. As a driver, he is virtually perfect.”
Verstappen drove for junior team Toro Rosso, the current Racing Bulls, in 2015 and 2016. He then moved up to Red Bull, but remained an important reference point for the sister team. All drivers who started their F1 careers at Racing Bulls, formerly AlphaTauri, could take Verstappen as an example. Think of Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and Arvid Lindblad. “That is exactly what you want to show them: ‘Look how Max does it, that level is what you should strive for.’”
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Dream for the PR department
That goes beyond just his sporting achievements, Permane explained. “He does everything with a smile and without complaining. That is not always a given in Formula 1, but it is important towards teams and key partners. That makes him a dream for the PR department,” emphasized the Englishman. “If you have to give young drivers one example of how to conduct themselves, point to Max,” concluded Permane. “He has completely understood it.”
According to the Racing Bulls team principal, Verstappen is also the standard within the own stable. In recent months, many question marks have been raised about the cooperation between Red Bull and the sister team. For example, McLaren CEO Zak Brown sent an open letter to the FIA in which he explicitly disapproved of such partnerships. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem also questioned so-called multi-team constructions. This cooperation may be further restricted in the future.
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