27/05/2018
NEWS STORY
Not for the first time, Max Verstappen is in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
While his teammate Daniel Ricciardo will start today's Monaco Grand Prix from pole position, have posted the fastest ever lap time at the track, Verstappen will start from the back... at a circuit where overtaking is nigh impossible.
But for a needless, self-confessed mistake the youngster might also have been starting from the front, pole position even, the Dutchman having given his teammate a run for his money for much of the weekend.
Every race weekend this year has seen the youngster involved in an incident of one sort of another, some more serious than others.
In Bahrain he collided with Lewis Hamilton, in an incident which led to the Briton calling him a dickhead, while two weeks later he collided with another four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel.
Then there was Azerbaijan, where, whilst battling teammate Ricciardo, was widely judged to be responsible for the crash that saw both drivers eliminated on the spot.
Courtesy of a strong drive in Barcelona, he heads into today's race just 14 points adrift of his teammate, but if all goes to plan that gap could be around 30 points by this evening.
Showing remarkable, and uncharacteristic, understanding, Red Bull's racing consultant and Lord High Executioner, Helmut Marko, believes the main cause of Verstappen's numerous incidents is his impatience.
"He has to learn not always to drive flat out," the Austrian told BBC Sport. "They are all different incidents but this one for sure is a very unnecessary one.
"I think he is not patient enough," he admitted. "He wants always to who he is the fastest but the result is only when you cross the line. He needs to be more patient, judge the situations better."
Asked if there are issues the youngster neds to address, Marko said: "Issue is maybe not the right word. It is always a different situation but they are all because he is impatient."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monaco, here.