Max Verstappen has hit out at 'idiots' creating controversy where none truly exists.
The Dutchman beat out Lando Norris to win his fourth straight Formula 1 drivers' title, with the two clashing multiple times on track and expressing frustration over team radio.
As Norris edged closer to Verstappen in the championship standings, the pair increasingly became entangled in on track battles, with controversy arising between the pair in Austria, Austin and Mexico.
The latter of these races saw Verstappen slammed with a 20-second time penalty for his racing tactics against Norris, where he forced the McLaren star wide.
Verstappen addresses F1 rivalry with Norris
Following their incident in Mexico, Norris hit out at Verstappen and branded his rival ‘dangerous’, where he complained about his unclean driving.
Whilst some were concerned that their on-track rivalry would destroy their friendship, Verstappen has since clarified that their relationship was good, and claimed that ‘idiots’ on social media tend to make these things worse.
"People always make it worse on social media,” Verstappen said on the Talking Bull Podcast.
“There are a lot of idiots on that platform. They always have something to say or something to complain about.
“There are also a lot of positive people but also some proper idiots. I think its better to ignore all of that.
“Lando and I get on really well. Of course at times things get tense on track but off track that shouldn't matter. But we are good."