Max Verstappen hits out at FIA steward working at Brazilian GP as war of words continues

has hit back at steward Johnny Herbert for an 'extreme accusation' after the three-time Grand Prix winner suggested that the driver deliberately drove Lando Norris off the road at Turn Eight in Mexico City.

Verstappen picked up two 10-second time penalties at the Mexican Grand Prix for running Norris wide at Turn Four and Eight, with the second infringement being the more egregious - a divebomb into a corner at which drivers do not typically overtake.

"I am such a big fan of Verstappen and it frustrates me massively when he drives the way he did in Mexico," he told Action Network after the race. "He doesn't need to do it, he's so good in the cockpit and at this point in the Championship, he just needs to stay out of trouble and drive as well as possible.

"When Verstappen goes into this horrible mindset of trying to gain an advantage by taking a fellow driver off the race track so Ferrari can get the one-two, that where Verstappen needs to know he doesn't have to do that. Just win in the cleanest possible way you can."

Verstappen didn't take too kindly to Herbert's comments and despite the fact that the 60-year-old will be in the stewards' room again this weekend in Brazil, opted to call the Brit out on media day.

"I didn't do anything on purpose," he replied when asked about Herbert's theory. "They can't look inside my head. It's a pretty extreme accusation. We just raced hard."

He then continued: "You win some, you lose some. It depends. Every situation is different and in hindsight, it's always easy to have another look at it. It happened, we just have to make sure we have a more competitive car so we don't end up in that situation again because that's where it starts."

Verstappen didn't stop there though. He also criticised Herbert over his comments about his language after the Singapore Grand Prix press conference and the lack of outrage over swearing in the post-race presser in Mexico City.

"[He] had big opinions about what I said in the press conference [in Singapore], but I didn't hear him after the press conference in Mexico," he said. "Actually, what [he] said is worse than what I said in its context, and it was a much more important press conference with more people watching. But you know, I'm not going to spend time on that. It is what it is."