Verstappen radio rant a 'high bar' Red Bull must reach

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan believes Max Verstappen's recent radio rant is because the driver has a "high bar" he wants the team to reach. 

Verstappen faced criticism for his radio manner throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was highly critical of Red Bull's strategy, the stewards and his rivals. 

It resulted in some tense conversations between the three-time world champion and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, although both were back on good terms in Belgium. 

The Dutchman is under more pressure than he has ever experienced in the current regulations, with the likes of McLaren and Mercedes having caught Red Bull. 

Red Bull's performance advantage has gone, resulting in Verstappen having to push to the limit more often. 

Speaking in a joint interview involving RacingNews365, Monaghan does not mind the tone of some of Verstappen's radio messages, with the engineer recognising that the 26-year-old simply wants Red Bull to perform at the highest level.

"Perhaps, I think Max sets a pretty high bar for himself as well as us," Monaghan said, when asked if Red Bull employees require thick skin to deal with Verstappen's radio rants. 

"Last year and races this year, he's reached a level the others have thus far yet to match. And as such, if he feels that we are not attaining his high bar, we can expect those kinds of comments. 

"I don't really have a strong view on how he presents it to us, whether the tone is pleasant, unpleasant. Look at it as if he is sensing that we are not getting the most out of ourselves as a team. 

"If he didn't say anything, would it push us to do anything differently? Maybe, maybe not. But in making those comments, maybe view it as constructive criticism rather than a rant or anything like that."

Verstappen only after 'the best'

With Verstappen's F1 profile, the vast majority of his radio messages are broadcast across the globe, unlike drivers in the midfield. 

It can make it seem that Verstappen is unhappy with Red Bull, whilst it is more of a case that he simply wants the best from himself and the Milton Keynes-based team. 

Monaghan recognises this and believes the team need to take his comments as "constructive criticism", and refers to Rudyard Kipling's poem If—, which is about being offered advice to tackle challenges. 

"He wants the best for himself, he is a fairly significant figure in this team and he has probably the most public speaking platform," added Monaghan.

"So thick skin or not, I don't mind. I think you have to try and maintain Kipling's poem If—. You just got to take what he's saying as constructive criticism, not a personal insult and move on with it.

"How he presents it I don't mind particularly. I've had drivers rant at me in the past. A certain Spaniard I remember threw a chair at me once. He was a little bit upset with me, probably rightly so.

"[Verstappen is] fighting his corner, he wants the best for himself, he wants the best for us."