Max Verstappen deserves credit, not criticism, for his driving style which🃏 has turned him into Formula 1’s four-time champion, it has been argued.

The Red Bull driver’s on-track tactics came under scrutiny last season after collisions w🌳ith McLaren’s Lando Norris, who 🐈was putting pressure on his lead in the drivers’ standings.

Verstappen and Norris clashed in Aust🐼ria and Mexico, testing their friendship, and raising eyebrows about the F1 ❀champion’s driving.

“Race craft is possibly Verstappen’s weakness, only when it comes to head-to-heaဣd battles,” Lewis Larkam told the ♊Crash F1 podcast.

“We saw a couple of collisions with Nor⛄ris last season. We know he’s had big crashes with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 title fight.

“It is potentially his only weakness.

“Particularl༺y with Hamilton, there seems to 🍷be a magnet. They always end up on the same piece of tarmac.”

Aggression 'a last resort' for Max Verstappen

But🐻 Connor McDonagh argued: “But for Verstappen it’s a last resort. In 2021, Mercedes had the faster car.

“In Saudi A🌠rabia he had no chance of winning unless he drove like that. It was the same at Silverstone.

“You can say it’s a criticism, to some extent. Iꦯf h🌼e gets a race ban, fair enough.

“🎀But in Mexico it paid off. He is very calculated.

“He loses his head sometimes but it’s a minor thing. I feel like a l꧂ot of the drivers lose thei🗹r heads, it does happen.

“I don’t think it’s fair to criticise him.

“Lewis can be aggressive, Senna, Schumacher…

“It’s a trait thꦉat these drivers are prepared to step over the line, and he deserves credit for itﷺ.

“He has shown time and time again that he’s the top🌠 ꧒dog in Formula 1. And people are scared by him!

“They are💎, that’s the reality. Norris, and even Hamilton is cautious against him.”

Le🐲wis Larkam added: “He knows how to work it to his favour.

“Drivers are scared to overtake, to a certain exte꧒nt.

“You can’t overtake Verstappen around theꦑ outside because he will cleverly ease 🐲you off the track.

“He loses his head sometimes, butꦏ he knows how🦋 to approach those racing dynamics.

“The only way you can really overtake Verstappen is to send it down the inside but that can cause a collision because he will clಞose the door, as he’s entitled to do.”