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Max Verstappen is certainly a polarising character in the soap opera that can be Formula One. What does having someone who can be a villain one season and a vulnerable underdog the next do for the sport? Here is Beau Dure’s verdict.
Verstappen the Villain is well and truly back. Russell expressed surprise in Montreal on Thursday that the Dutchman had even offered an apology of sorts but suggested he would be unlikely to change his aggressive approach even if he did accumulate the 12 penalty points that would result in a ban. The question for F1, now and for the foreseeable future: is this a good thing? Does the sport do better when it has someone to root against as well as many drivers to root for?
Other sports benefit from having foils for the fan favorites. If a supporter’s favorite team loses, there’s always a chance the New York Yankees or Manchester United might lose as well, and there’s comfort in schadenfreude. Consider Nascar, where fans either loved or hated Dale Earnhardt’s “Intimidator” style and often distrusted Jeff Gordon because he was a smooth-talking Californian, not a rough-edged man with a southern state drawl.