Max Verstappen Expresses Frustration with FIA Management

Max Verstappen has hinted that recent incidents, including punishment for swearing at Thursday’s press conference for the Singapore Grand Prix, could cut short his F1 career. The FIA’s response has left him feeling “really tiring” and “stupid”.

Verstappen was ordered to carry out “work in the public interest” after being sworn in at a pre-race FIA press conference in Singapore. This was the first time the rules for “improper behaviour” were expanded to include swearing and profanity.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has long said he does not intend to continue racing in F1 into his 40s like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. His other motorsport ambitions include endurance racing and beyond.

However, with the FIA’s new punishment amounting to community service, Verstappen will briefly answer questions during the FIA-mandated post-qualifying and post-race press conferences, and will otherwise hold his own media sessions with the team he has decided.

Verstappen’s Future in F1 Uncertain

Asked whether the penalty incident could affect his future F1 activities, Verstappen told reporters gathered in Singapore:

“Of course I do. I mean, in a way, it determines my future, if I can’t be myself and I have to deal with all this.”

“I don’t think I’m at the point where I have to deal with this all the time. It’s really tiring.”

“Obviously it’s great to be successful and win races, but once you’ve achieved everything, winning championships and races, you just want to enjoy it.”

“Obviously everyone is pushing to the limit, everyone is in this fight, even at the back of the field, but if I have to deal with all this kind of crap, for me this is not the way to continue in this sport.”

When pressed further on the issue and asked whether he thought the FIA was running the risk of expelling a multiple world champion from F1, Verstappen said it was realistic that the sport would one day continue even if he was no longer around.

“I mean, I don’t know how seriously they take something like this, but for me, obviously, at a certain point, when you think enough is enough.”

“Well, we’ll see. As I said, the race goes on. F1 goes on without me. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter to me. That’s how it is.”

With Verstappen only giving brief answers in the official FIA media sessions over the past two days, he explained: “I personally don’t feel like going out there and giving a long answer when I’m treated like that.”

“I never felt like I had a bad relationship with them. This year too I volunteered as a junior steward, had a 30-minute interview and everything was ready.”

“So I try to help them out, too, and I’m not a hard person to say ‘no’ to little favors and all that. I like to help, and when I do, I get treated like that. That can’t happen. So for me it was pretty easy, because I know I have to respond, but I don’t write down how much time I have.”

Category: Formula 1 / Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing / F1 Singapore GP / FIA (International Automobile Federation)