Max Verstappen is close to quitting F1 for good – the sport’s bosses should be on high alert
The borderline farcical situation around swearing in Singapore is the latest in several situations which have vexed Verstappen, whose patience with F1 and the commotion surrounding the sport is wearing thin
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Away from the sweat-inducing action on track, it was a tempestuous Formula One weekend in Singapore. At the centre of it all was Max Verstappen, the championship leader on the cusp of four straight world titles. Yet for an athlete whose dominance in recent years has been so mighty, he remains distinctly vexed by the sport he loves on a regular basis.
To summarise, in Thursday’s FIA press conference, the plain-spoken Dutchman described his Red Bull car in the last race in Baku as “f***ed”. He was then called to see the stewards and, effectively, was handed a punishment in the form of community service, the precise nature of which is unknown.
In protest, Verstappen gave short, apathetic answers in FIA press conferences following qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday – where he finished second – before sharing his true thoughts with the written media in an informal paddock huddle.
For a professional sport, the whole scenario was borderline farcical.
In separate comments last week, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated F1 broadcasts were airing too much swearing from drivers in the cockpit. The phrasing used – comparing drivers to rappers – was rightly criticised for racial undertones by Lewis Hamilton.
There are two different issues at play here. Ben Sulayem opined that the regular race broadcast is unacceptable for younger viewers, given the frustrations of drivers are played out on team radio for the wider world to hear (though swear words are bleeped out). And he’s right, with Verstappen often the chief culprit.
But expecting athletes, while driving at 220mph in intense conditions, to curb their language in the heat of the moment is unrealistic. Further, most viewers want to see the raw emotion and reaction; it humanises these athletes behind the helmet and presents a point of difference to other sports where on-field audio is not aired.
For Formula One Management – which controls the world TV feed – it is a somewhat unsolvable problem.
However, Verstappen’s foul language in a formal press conference is unnecessary. Gratuitous swearing should not be encouraged and there is no reason Verstappen could not have simply used the word “rubbish” to describe his car in Azerbaijan. He needed to be punished, in the same way that Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur were penalised for swearing last year in Las Vegas.
Verstappen’s ripostes over the weekend are a sign of the Dutchman’s inner irritation at where F1 as a sport is at in general. A sport that, not for the first time, he threatened to quit on Sunday.
“These kind of things [the swearing issue] definitely decide my future, if you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these silly things,” the 26-year-old said. “I’m now at the stage of my career that you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.
“Everyone is pushing to the limit, everyone in this paddock, even at the back of the grid. But if you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in this sport, that’s for sure.”
It is difficult to digest how genuine Verstappen’s warning is, given the fact we’ve been here before.
In 2022, mere months after securing his first world title and signing his latest £40m-a-year Red Bull deal which extends until the end of 2028, Verstappen mooted that he “might” quit at the end of this contract. In Australia last April, Verstappen stated he would “not be around for too long” if F1 expanded the amount of sprint races from its current total of six, amid a calendar already at a record level of 24 rounds.
The irascible Dutchman has also aired his displeasure in recent years at the added razzmatazz that has accompanied new events in Miami and Las Vegas. He’s a racer – and does not care much for all the colour and commotion of the show.
Prior to Singapore, his most recent comments on his future came at his home race in Zandvoort – where he stated he is “past halfway” through his F1 career, having totted up 200 races. No doubt he has also been annoyed by the turmoil within Red Bull this year, particularly surrounding the division between his father, Jos, and his boss, Christian Horner.
More important than their squabble is a concurrent downturn in performance, with McLaren now the constructors’ championship frontrunners and Lando Norris looking to reel in the defending champion following his cruise to victory in Singapore.
Verstappen has already expressed concern about Red Bull’s competitiveness heading into a new era of regulations in 2026, particularly without Aston Martin-bound Adrian Newey. Red Bull will say goodbye to their engine partnership with Honda (who move with Newey to Aston) to team up with Ford, forming Red Bull-Ford Powertrains. It represents the first time Verstappen’s car will be powered by an internal engine, in an era where the power train is expected to be of vital importance.
Verstappen has previously aired his concerns, saying: “We have to be realistic, we are up against people who have been making engines for more than a hundred years.” Could, therefore, Verstappen abruptly leave if Red Bull’s engine is not up to standard in 2026?
For a 26-year-old athlete at the peak of his powers, it may seem inconceivable to walk away in the next year or two. But the reality is that his exasperation with many aspects of F1 is clear as day. Beyond the lucrative finances (approximately £120m if he leaves before 2026) and potential accolades he’d forego, he has always been a figure led by instincts, both on and off the track.
Having made his debut at 17, he is also about to finish his 10th consecutive season and has already stated racing in the sport into his late thirties or forties – like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – does not appeal. Fatigue and indignation are not two profitable combinations.
For F1, it would be the most shocking of blows and the FIA – and its misguided president – should be wary of infuriating one of its biggest assets much longer. Patience is wearing thin. It does seem that Verstappen is not far away from pressing the big red button and packing it all in altogether.
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