Jolyon Palmer says Max Verstappen’s hunger to win has led him to go too far with F1 rules

Photo by Peter Van Egmond/Getty ImagesJolyon Palmer believes that Max Verstappen’s ‘relentless pursuit of perfection’ has, at times, pushed him beyond what’s acceptable in Formula 1.Verstappen’s driving style has been a topic of debate since he entered the sport. In 2016, his debut season with Red Bull, his aggressive defending led to the FIA introducing new rules against late defensive moves.AdvertisementAnd during his heated title fight with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, many within the paddock felt Verstappen crossed the line of fair racing. The Dutchman is known for pushing every boundary of the rulebook.Max Verstappen’s reputation for pushing the limitsSpeaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer created his ideal driver by blending qualities from various racers. While he thinks Verstappen has crossed the line at times, he still respects his mindset.Palmer likened Verstappen to Michael Schumacher, who twice made contact with championship rivals during title deciders, Damon Hill in 1994 and Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. The latter incident led to Schumacher being disqualified from that season.AdvertisementWhile Verstappen didn’t have any major incidents in either of his championship-deciding races, Palmer pointed out that he often found himself in unnecessary situations throughout those seasons.He explained: “In terms of your relentless pursuit of perfection in the car, ‘don’t settle for second, don’t settle for anything less than the maximum you can possibly get’, I was looking at Max and someone like Michael Schumacher.“What they’ve both got in common is a level of controversy where they’ve pushed the rules too far because they’ve been so desperate for executing the absolute maximum. Rather than accepting on any given day that it’s not on, that’s not the move, they’ll try something that will then get them into trouble.”“Max’s ’21, there was a lot of big moments where he was getting penalty after penalty.”AdvertisementMax Verstappen holds the most penalty points in F1 historyVerstappen came close to a race ban last year when he picked up 11 penalty points, just one shy of the threshold. He avoided further trouble and, if he stays out of trouble until June, his record will reset to zero.Even so, Verstappen still tops the all-time penalty points chart since the system began in 2014, a year before his debut. Among active drivers, Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll are also high on that list.After several clashes with Lando Norris in 2024 brought his driving under scrutiny again, Verstappen responded: “I’m a three-time world champion. I think I know what I’m doing.”AdvertisementHe went on to win a fourth title soon after, likely reinforcing his approach. But it’s worth noting that an incident with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix may have cost him another championship in 2025.Read more: