Sky F1 analyst Craig Slater recently addressed the contentious issue of perceived ‘British bias’ within the sport, a notion held by Dutch driver Max Verstappen. Verstappen’s fellow Sky F1 pundit, Naomi Schiff, has asserted that Verstappen’s prowess and accomplishments on the track have never been undervalued.
Verstappen, the four-time World Champion, had drawn sharp criticism from prominent figures such as the 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill, and Johnny Herbert, both former Sky F1 pundits. Verstappen’s run-ins with his 2024 title contender, Lando Norris, on the track, especially after the Mexican GP where he received a 20-second penalty, sparked this criticism. These incidents led Verstappen and his father, Jos, to imply a British media bias as Verstappen competed against British racer Norris. Eventually, Verstappen managed to out-race Norris and clinch his impressive fourth consecutive World Championship.
Slater acknowledged the controversy, stating, “There was a bit of controversy around British bias. That’s what Max perceived, perhaps the British media had against him and maybe in favour of Lando. Those incidents last year were replayed and replayed over and over again. Should we still recognize the great achievement that Max did, winning a championship without the quickest car? Is he going to have to do the same thing again this year, do you sense if he is to win it?”
Schiff, in response to Slater, expressed her belief that Verstappen’s skills and achievements have always been duly recognised. She stated, “Well, first of all, I think his efforts are always recognised. I don’t think there’s any doubt ever about the magic that Max creates when he’s in a race car. He’s got a supernatural talent, and I think he got so much out of that Red Bull that wasn’t even there. He drew every little second out of that car, every little millisecond out of it, and really put on a performance that was truly super respectable.”
Looking ahead to F1 2025, Verstappen’s feedback after a challenging Italian Grand Prix was seen as a pivotal moment in Red Bull’s comeback journey. The team has since been working on rectifying the RB20’s balance issues with their new model, the RB21. However, with McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes all gunning for the title, Verstappen may not enjoy the same points advantage he had in 2024 after a dominant start.
Schiff added, “But of course, this year is going to be different. No Adrian Newey, for example, although Adrian is going to be working very hard at Aston to get that car a little bit quicker. But it’s going to be a different playing field starting off this season, for sure.”
On the ‘British bias’ debate, Hill accused Red Bull of unfairly using it as a strategy against Sky F1. He stated, “On the whole they’ve always taken the view that Sky are British-centric and biased, which is really unfair I think. Actually, I think there is a desire [the other way]. I don’t think Sky want to be accused of being biased at all. I think they want to be a fair broadcaster of the sport — credit where credit’s due and all that.”
He added, “I like Max. What I don’t like is jingoism. And I don’t like the fact that it became a ‘You’re against us because we’re not British’ and all that nonsense, which was used as a way of pressuring us. It’s utterly unfair to suggest that there is any kind of anti-Dutch thing going on. What can you do? I thought I was there to express my opinion.”