Former F1 star Riccardo Patrese has praised Max Verstappen for refusing ‘to keep his mouth shut’ like other drivers on the grid.

The four-time world champion has long been regarded as one of the most outspoken drivers on the current F1 grid.

The majority of the furore with this year’s new ruleset was spearheaded by Verstappen, with the Dutchman publicly voicing his frustrations with it at every round of racing during the opening stages of 2026.

In fact, Verstappen’s outspoken nature landed him in hot water recently. Following a clash with Liam Lawson during FP2 in Mexico City, Verstappen blasted the Racing Bulls driver in the press, which didn’t go down too well with fans.

However, the flip side of that means that Verstappen isn’t afraid to overstep the mark in order to get across what he really thinks, which is something Riccardo Patrese has commended him for.

Riccardo Patrese hails ‘old school’ Max Verstappen for refusing ‘to keep his mouth shut’ like rivals

Speaking via La Gazzetta dello Sport at the 2026 Trento Sports Festival, Patrese was asked for his thoughts on who, out of the current generation of Formula 1 drivers, he thinks would fit into the sport during his own heyday.

“Schumacher came close to winning world championships with cars that were inferior to Williams’, such as when he’d only just joined Ferrari, and Senna secured pole position after pole position and Grand Prix victories with Lotus,” the Italian began.

“So, of the drivers from the latest generation, the most obvious example is Verstappen, who is still the driver who manages to make the difference – because for the past two or three years he’s been competing for the world championship with a car in decline since Adrian Newey left.”

Verstappen’s supreme skill set behind the wheel of an F1 car would also see him be as successful during the eras of the legends that were previously mentioned, according to Patrese.

The six-time F1 Grand Prix winner continued, “Verstappen is undoubtedly the sort of driver I’ve just described – someone who, even in an inferior car, is a real nightmare to have around because he never lets go of the bone, and he’s still a driver who isn’t one to keep his mouth shut.

“I mean, these days everyone has to be careful what they say because they’ve got the press corps there recording everything. Recently, this business with Leclerc came to light, where he said he had the number 1 or 2, which he shouldn’t have said; it caused quite a bit of a row.

“Verstappen is still one of those old-school types who, if there’s something to be said, has no qualms about saying it, and he says it loud and clear, right to your face.”