Verstappen: Fans wouldn't criticise if they were driving F1 cars

On a weekend when Verstappen was lambasted for calling for the kerbs to be changed because they damaged his car in practice, his stance has appeared well justified judging by three further rear suspension failures on Saturday.

When asked about social media responses claiming that the simplest solution is for F1 drivers to just stay away from the kerbs to avoid trouble, the Red Bull driver said: "It is easier said than done...maybe we can exchange jobs and they can drive the cars and then see what they think about it.

"It is dangerous in Turn 8. Of course Turn 5/6, you don't hit them so easy but it is a similar approach. You can see when Daniil hit the yellow kerbs the vibrations on the suspension are massive."

Up to others

Verstappen tried to raise the issue of the kerbs with F1 race director Charlie Whiting in Friday night's driver briefing but his calls fell on deaf ears as none of his rivals agreed with him.

And although others now back his stance – especially after Daniil Kvyat's lucky escape – he said it was not up to him to now take up the matter with Whiting.

"I tried yesterday so I don't know," he said when asked if he would speak to the FIA about it again. "I think other drivers have to speak. If it is only me it doesn't make any sense."

Race issues

Verstappen believes that the AstroTurf that was in place last year was the best solution.

"It was perfect," he said. "Like it was last year it was fine."

And he is mindful that there could be more issues in the race, because there are situations where drivers could be forced wide in their fight for position.

"The thing is not only on yourself," he said. "The thing is when you are forced there, it is also a problem. So far everyone can stay off it more or less but if you are in a fight and somebody pushes you wide you will hit it."

That stance was backed by Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez, who said F1 had been lucky to escape a more serious incident from Kvyat.

"I am not against the kerbs in practice and qualifying. At the end of the day if you have a street circuit and you have the walls, one mistake you break the car," he said.

"With these yellow kerbs the only difference is that it is not as visual as a wall, you go deep to a corner and you take the risk. Then as we saw, if you go over them you break the car.

"My only concern is the race. When you have two cars side by side sometimes as a driver you don't have the control and you have to avoid things in front or the car on your side, putting the other car outside of the track. That is when it can be dangerous.

"And also the fact that in Kvyat's case, he touched the kerbs – and it was scary to see how the car went towards the pit entry wall. He was pretty lucky not to hit it centrally. So that is the only thing that I am not fully convinced about.

"I think we should reconsider it because in the race we could have some strange things happenings. I don't think it is fair.

"When you have the street circuit and you have the wall and if you are fighting side by side, then the other car knows and is aware that if he pushes the other car to the wall, then he is going to crash as well.

"But in this case, the kerbs are not visual – and you can run over them so it is even worse. Sometimes some drivers don't really care."