Verstappen's Candid Confession: Fading Love for F1 Amidst Rule Controversies
Aug.21 - Max Verstappen admits he doesn't "like" Formula 1 as much as he once did.
The Dutchman is cruising to his third consecutive drivers' title, but he has recently been outspoken about rule changes that are designed to spice up the 'show'.
"Yes," the Red Bull driver told De Telegraaf, "because I am concerned about the sport that I have always loved.
"I still like it, but to a certain extent. It's not that I'm completely against change, but they must be adjustments that benefit Formula 1.
"Why do we need to change certain things when they're working fine? I think a traditional qualifying session is good enough in that form. You shouldn't make changes just for the money," the 25-year-old added.
Verstappen even doubled down on his claim that he may even quit Formula 1 before the end of his current contract in 2028.
"People may think 'he earns a lot of money, what's the guy complaining about?' But it's about wellbeing, not how much you earn," he said.
"Sometimes I think I have to do too many things and I wonder if it's still worth it. I spend more than a month a year on marketing and at a certain point you don't feel like it anymore."
Verstappen is also wary about Red Bull's current level of performance potentially taking a dive in the next few years.
"It would have to be very bad and dramatic, I think," he said. "I don't really expect a team to be able to fall back that far, especially with all the good people we have.
"But it's true that I don't see myself driving around in the midfield for three years. Then I'd rather stay at home or do something else."
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His points about well-being & not having much free time, even outside race weekends, mainly because of marketing/PR commitments are valid.
However, he can quit racing in F1 whenever he wants if he truly doesn't find that worth all sacrifices anymore & many drivers would gladly take his place.
I suspect Rb are bending over backwards to accommodate him and enough free time, thy wont wanna upset him over this
"It would have to be very bad and dramatic, I think," he said. "I don't really expect a team to be able to fall back that far, especially with all the good people we have."
Sounds a bit like MB a couple of years ago & Ferrari before that. The thing is that IMO Max is motivated by the winning & is giving an honest assessment of his feelings.
Max has partner with child & 3 wdc and recognises (has been told )that he is not a nice person under pressure and is at great risk as a result.
Hamilton seems not to care about risk.
Why would Max put himself in that position, for what?
Because he wants to be the goat isnt it obvious, Do keep up....!
Silly me, I thought he already was!
When Max looks back on 2021 I think he thinks ‘ not going there again tooo risky’.
And in the meantime he needs to make it look more difficult like Hammy did.
I completely agree with Max, that the glitz and glamour is being brought in to "spice up the show" and is disenfranchising more people than it is attracting.
F1 has well encompassed a massive following for 70 years without having to resort to all the BS of the tinsel and glitz. Let's get back to concentrate on the racing ~ isn't that why F1 exists?
Maybe I am showing my age as an old phart, but I detest all the so-called "celebrities" getting a free ride on F1 to promote their own self interests. The F1 drivers should have pride of place, not some celebrity who is a legend in their own lunch time trying to promote themselves!
Nor am I a fan of the sprint races and rule changes that don't improve the actual racing! Let's not have changes just for the sake of change. Let's have changes that benefit the racing.
All true. Let's remember that Liberty is a publicly held company & has a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, not motor racing.
As is usually the case, ROR, your comments are right on the money. Sad but true, Liberty couldn't give a stuff about motor racing, only about dividends to shareholders.
Those of us who have been around motor racing for many decades can recall the days when F1 cars were raced by gentlemen who raced almost as a hobby, without the intervention from big business!
Ahh the good old days when a death or serious injuries kept people entertained .
Gentlemen Gentlemen please do not ignore the facts, the banks ( who exist solely to make money for themselves and shareholders) were in control of F1 long before liberty announce themselves as the saviors of f1
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/bank-claims-f1-control-in-settlement-5331006/5331006/