Max Verstappen hints he could quit F1 over swearing row: ‘It’s really tiring’
Verstappen was sanctioned by the sport’s governing body for using foul language to describe his Red Bull car
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Your support makes all the difference.Max Verstappen has threatened to turn his back on Formula One in the wake of his community service order for swearing.
Verstappen was sanctioned by the sport’s governing body after he described his Red Bull as “f*****” in a televised press conference prior to Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Verstappen effectively boycotted the FIA’s mandatory post-qualifying media call on Saturday, in response to his punishment and then kept his answers to a minimum after he finished second in the race.
Away from the FIA’s official press conference, the triple world champion, who is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, was asked if the punishment – the finer details of which are yet to be determined – have left him considering his future.
“These kind of things definitely decide my future, if you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these silly things,” Verstappen, 26, 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.
“Of course it’s great to have success and win races, but once you’ve accomplished all of that, then you want to just have a good time as well.
“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.”
Verstappen stated at last month’s Dutch Grand Prix that he is already halfway through his career, and has previously questioned the demands of the ever-expanding calendar.
Verstappen, who holds a 52-point lead over Lando Norris with six rounds remaining, continued: “I will always be myself. I will not change how I am in my life. At one point when it’s enough it’s enough. Racing will go on, and F1 will go on without me.
“If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak. But that’s not what anyone wants, because then you become a robot, and that’s not how you should be going about it in this sport.”
Verstappen, bidding to win a fourth consecutive title, will return to action at the next round in Austin, Texas on October 20.
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