Max Verstappen insisted: "I have never been a bad team-mate to anyone," as he took aim at social media trolls and reporters for "disgusting" comments written about him.
Verstappen was widely criticised for ignoring team orders at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend. Red Bull told him to allow Sergio Perez past, but he refused and later said the matter had already been discussed behind closed doors prior to that incident.
Despite having a few days for emotions to die down, Verstappen was still visibly irritated by the negativity directed towards him. "It wasn't about the position, it was about something that happened earlier in the season," he explained to reporters on Thursday.
"I already explained that in Mexico and the team understood and agreed. We went to Brazil and I just thought we were going to race and try to get the best possible result. We had a bit of a miscommunication – on Saturday and Sunday nothing had been said to me about a potential swap. It only came into that last lap that it was said on the radio, and I think they should have known my response already from what I said the week before.
"After that race we had some good discussions, put everything on the table and it has been resolved. In hindsight, we should have had that conversation earlier. I have never been a bad team-mate to anyone, I have always had been helpful and the team knows that – I always put the team up front because it was a team effort. I think what we learned from it is that we have to be a little more open and communicate better with each other.
"After that race, of course, I looked very bad in the media. But also they did not have the clear picture. To immediately put me down like that, it was pretty ridiculous, because they don't know how I work in the team. That's what the team appreciates about me, so all the things I've read are pretty disgusting."
Verstappen went on to reveal the extend of the abuse he and his team have faced on social media in the last few days, including some comments made about and to his loved ones. "Even more than that, they started attacking my family – threatening my sister, mum, girlfriend, dad," he added.
"For me that goes way too far, when you don't even have the facts of what actually what was going on. That has to stop. If you have a problem with me, fine, but don't go after my family because that is unacceptable. But we move on.
"I have a great relationship with Checo. I just don't understand, when people don't have the full picture, why they would start attacking me like that. I hope one day they actually understand what was going on, because it's just unacceptable behaviour. Also, in this paddock – it's not only fans but also what some people have been writing about me is just ridiculous."
