Verstappen has no plans to ease off

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen has no plans to modify his all-out attacking style at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix despite his spectacular accident in Monaco last month.

The 17-year-old Toro Rosso racer was handed a five-place grid penalty for this Sunday's race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after his collision with Frenchman Romain Grosjea's Lotus.

It was his first big accident in his maiden season in Formula One and sparked an opinionated debate about his merits and the way in which he should have been punished.

Brazilian Felipe Massa called for him to be handed a penalty to teach him a lesson after he appeared to misjudge his braking behind Grosjean.

Speaking at a pre-race news conference, Verstappen was asked what he had learned from the experience in Monte Carlo.

"I learned the cars are pretty strong," he said. "I am happy that I didn't have any injuries and I am happy I didn't have a lot of problems. I went karting afterwards and I was fit again.

"I will have some work to do here at this track. It will not change me as a racing driver. I will keep fighting, especially when you fight for points. I will still go for it… Nothing change."

Williams driver Massa said his views and opinions were unchanged.
 
"I said I think he needed to be penalised because what he did was wrong," said Massa. "When you are in your first year, 17 years old and if you do something like that, and you are not penalised, it is completely wrong.

"The FIA needs to be strong in a proper way, which is what they did anyway. I don't change my mind. That is what I believe. You need to follow the rules, I thought what he did was wrong."

Verstappen responded saying: "Everyone can have his opinion, but look at my data, I didn't brake late… I braked later in the race before that and that lap was the same as the lap before.

"I got my penalty, but now I am focusing on this race here in Canada. Maybe, we should review the race here from last year and see what happened there…"
Source: AFP