Max: ‘If I get a few more comments I will headbutt someone’

[Monty]

......"or just drive into them; again!"

Yet more proof that he isn't fit to be on the F1 grid.

[Dare]

That comment says all about max we need to know.

[Calman]

Yes, I read about this yesterday morning!

So, basically, nobody can bring up anything which Max did 5 minutes ago to 5 years ago ... and they will pleasingly avoid a head butt.  In that case, Kimi, go ask Max whether he was partly responsible for his last 25 accidents in F1.   Then everyone can circle the two of them, like a dispute in the school playground.  My money is on Kimi (after a few Mwah's and the battle commences of course!!).

Best Regards,
Cal

[Scott]

I've chosen him as a DNF this weekend.  I think it's smart money.

[Calman]

I've chosen him as a DNF this weekend.  I think it's smart money.

I bet Mad Max will come in here and read that comment .. and win the race, just to annoy you Scott!!! 

That reminds me, I should think about the Grid Game picks tonight, as I feel that this weekend "could" be an unusual result.  That's what my crystal ball tells me anyway!

Best Regards,
Cal

[Warmwater]

Upgraded Red Bull

[Calman]

  @ Luke!!!

Well, he is still capable of head butting someone from that mode of transport, but at least there would be less damage to his competitor's car! 

Best Regards,
Cal

[Alianora La Canta]

Oh dear Max... ...I get that it was meant to be a joke, but after a few races of bring increasingly surly off-track, aggressive on-track and gradually losing temper? The joke was never going to land properly.

You can't develop a reputation of being aggressive and feisty without aggressive, feisty actions being deemed "potentially in-character" - even if it is in fact outside your self-determined boundaries. Daniel Riccardo can get away with joke-threatening to thump a journalist (which he did to Simon Lazenby a while back) because even Simon could not imagine a scenario where Daniel would do such a thing (and Simon's imagination is quite good). Max can't, because it is difficult to avoid the impression that if the circumstances were just right...

Furthermore, there is generally more sympathy in the paddock for the corps of journalists than for the somewhat beleaguered Red Bull driver. Add the well-known tendency of some members of said corps to get defensive when they believe their "readers'/viewers' rights" are being challenged by anti-media statements... (The best example of this I saw was when Ralf Schumacher told Matt Bishop that if he did a photoshoot, F1 Racing had to stop criticising him and Toyota. Not only did this result in an angry, sweary journalist, not only did Matt tell the entire world in a seven-page complaint next issue, but Ralf's manager and team manager apparently had the classic "This isn't happening, get me out of here" faces during the whole thing. Toyota clearly didn't have a problem with Matt's reaction because they brought Ralf's team-mate through for the photoshoot, everyone all smiles, as if nothing had happened. 

Taken together, this isn't really have the recipe for laughter.

It seems only Max's fans are surprised that the attempted joke went down like a lead balloon. (Yes, I've had a couple of conversations with "VMax supporters" who think the journalists are in the wrong for being annoyed rather than amused).

[Calman]

By reading various comments and opinions around the web, it sounds like the most damage done by Mad Max's head butt quote (joking or not) ... is how the young F1 fans interpret/react to it.  From a PR point of view, this was not a good move on Max's part.  I'm sure it will blow over like everything else in F1 circles, but he should think before he speaks from here on in!!!

Best Regards,
Cal