Max Verstappen was reportedly up until the early hours of the morning gaming ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix at the weekend.
Triple world champion Verstappen endured a difficult afternoon at the Hungaroring circuit on Sunday, with the Dutchman coming fifth to extend his winless streak to three races.
His poor performance also came after he was involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton which cost him a couple of places, while Verstappen seemed furious with his team and the race stewards throughout the 70 laps.
And, according to Spanish outlet Marca, there may have been an explanation for the Dutchman’s disappointing performance and intense frustration in Hungary.
The report claims Verstappen was up until 3am on Sunday morning playing Sim racing, a popular racing simulation game.
Max Verstappen was reportedly up until 3am gaming ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix
Verstappen endured a difficult afternoon as he came fifth after a collision with Lewis Hamilton
Verstappen is known to be a huge fan of this video game, with the 26-year-old – who began Sunday’s race in third – having previously filmed himself playing it, but many have claimed the lack of sleep and preparation impacted his performance in Hungary.
Despite the speculation, senior Red Bull figures have since leapt to Verstappen’s defence.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, who is a close ally of Verstappen, claimed the Dutchman is built differently to other drivers and isn’t affected by such things.
‘He was even up there for longer at Imola and won the race,’ he said. ‘He has his share of sleep, he has always had it, that’s rubbish.’
Meanwhile, Red Bull chief Christian Horner added: ‘I think people jump to conclusions, but Max knows what he needs and we trust his judgement on this.
‘He knows what it takes to drive in a Grand Prix, win it and be world champion.’
Meanwhile, Horner also commented on his team’s wider struggles, with Verstappen’s three-race drought the longest he has gone without a win since 2021.
Verstappen has now gone three races without a win as he endures a difficult run of form
Red Bull chief Christian Horner defended Verstappen and insisted his team trust the Dutchman
‘Everyone sees that we need to find more performance,’ he explained. ‘And everyone is working hard to achieve that, so we will discuss whatever it is behind closed doors.’
Verstappen currently holds a 76-point lead on McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Drivers’ standings, while Red Bull are just 51 points clear in the Constructors’ standings.
The Dutchman will look to get back to winning ways this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa.