Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko had revealed how a psychologist was helping sister team AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who “blows up on the radio, you wouldn’t believe it”.
Verstappen, whose own radio messages to colleagues at Red Bull may be choppy, said he had never sought help from a psychologist but would not stop showing his emotions while driving.
“I haven’t worked with anyone but, over the years, you look at what you could have done better,” he said ahead of the Austrian F1 Grand Prix.
“It doesn’t help the whole team if you’re upset after a training session because it makes everyone nervous.
“I’m always a little upset on the radio. It does not influence my performance. But, if things are not going well, if something is being executed poorly, then I have a problem.
“When the day comes when I’m not upset about these things anymore, then I won’t be interested in sports anymore.
“It’s because I care that I sometimes get upset about these things.
“It does not influence my performance in the race.
“Some people are calmer, others more explosive.”
Verstappen was forced to settle for seventh place at the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone last week when a piece of debris from Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri became lodged in his Red Bull.
Marko, the Red Bull consultant, has since told Servus TV about Tsunoda: “We organized some sort of psychologist to work with him because he kept fuming around the corners which inhibits performance.
“We have to keep our emotions under control. Thank goodness Max is calm, our problem child in this regard, not just in this regard, is Tsunoda. It explodes on the radio, you wouldn’t believe it.
Tsunoda revealed that he has always worked with a psychologist: “It was partly thanks to him that I was able to switch to Formula 1. He helped me develop my performance in terms of consistency.”
The Japanese driver has a new psychologist provided by Red Bull and he said: “He needs to know more about myself and the direction we are going.
“Definitely, I’m overheated, especially in my brain! In these situations, he can make me better. I know I have to improve.”
Carlos Sainz, who won his first race on the 150th attempt at Silverstone last week, added: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s finding the balance between hustle and bustle. calm. It comes with experience.
“During my early years in F1, I was either too calm and didn’t make my point, or too excited and it makes no sense.
Kevin Magnussen added: “There is emotion. You are annoyed, excited.
“If there are things you can improve, why not give it a try, talking to team members or friends or a psychologist.
“I can get angry, of course.
“I’m a more emotional person inside the car than outside the car.”
Esteban Ocon said: “It’s not easy to keep a cool head in the car because in those moments you can lose everything or win everything.
“People react differently. The most important thing for us is to perform under those pressures.
#Verstappen #angry #radio #calls #longer #upset #longer #interested