Max Verstappen has set his sights on extending his record-breaking Formula One season in the final three races of 2022 as he also revealed the reasons for Red Bull’s boycotting of Sky Sports.
The two-time world champion picked up a record 14th grand prix win of the season in Mexico yesterday, eclipsing the highest mark for a single year previously shared by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
But Verstappen wants to stretch that record further still at the last two races of the season in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
The Dutchman, who also now holds the record for the biggest points haul in a calendar year at 416, said: “Hopefully we can score a few more but it’s not about that. At the end of the day, it’s all about trying to win a championship and it doesn’t matter with how many points you do it.
“I just live in the moment. I just try to do the best I can every weekend, win the races. It is just an incredible season for the team. I never thought I’d be able to win 14 races in a year.”
Mexico was another weekend overshadowed by rows involving Red Bull. As well as being handed out their punishment for breaching last season’s budget cap, the entire team put a blanket ban on speaking to Sky Sports over perceived slights against Verstappen over the manner of his title win last season.
He said: “It had nothing to do with this weekend, but this year has been a constant, kind of like digging and being disrespectful, especially from one particular person. At some point, it's enough, I don't accept it. You can't live in the past, you just have to move on.
"Social media is a very toxic place, and if you are constantly being like that on live TV, you make it only worse instead of trying to make it better in the world."
Red Bull principal Christian Horner, meanwhile, said the team felt disappointed with what he called a “series of derogatory comments” on Sky, with the boycott not set to carry over to Brazil.
“There needs to be balance in commentary. Some of the commentary is excellent, but some of the pieces, there’s too much sensationalism,” Horner said.
“We stand together as a team. We just want to set an example and show that some things are not acceptable.
“It’s not just about Sky England either, it’s about all of their channels, including Germany and Italy. None of our team members spoke to them this weekend.”
For the first time this season, it had looked after qualifying like the Mercedes’ of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell might be in a genuine fight with Verstappen for the race win. However, both Red Bull’s tyre choices and higher speed meant the Mercedes duo were left scrabbling for the more minor places.
Hamilton has never ended an F1 season without a race win and has just two more shots at keeping up that run.
“Ultimately, they [Red Bull] still have the upper hand,” he said. “They have a bit more in the tank than us but we are getting closer. This is the most competitive and the best the car has felt all year. I am so happy to almost be back in the fight. I am hoping in Brazil something special will come of it.”
