-
Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
SINGAPORE — Max Verstappen has said he could retire from Formula 1 earlier than planned if the actions of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, means he can’t be himself.
The three-time world champion was sanctioned over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend after he used a profanity in the FIA’s pre-event news conference on Thursday.
He was ordered by the stewards to “accomplish some work of public interest” after his use of the word “f—ed” in relation to the performance of his car was deemed to have breached the FIA’s International Sporting Code.
In response to the decision, Verstappen only gave short answers in the official FIA news conferences after Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race before talking to the media in full during his own private media huddles in the F1 paddock.
In the past, Verstappen has spoken about retiring from F1 at a relatively young age due to the number of races and his desire to compete in other series, and on Sunday said the latest swearing row had the potential to expedite that decision.
“For sure, these kind of things definitely decide my future as well,” he said. “You know when you can’t be yourself, or you have to deal with these kind of silly things.
“I think now I’m 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 you know, once you have accomplished all that winning championships and races, and then you want to just have a good time as well. Of course, 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 kind of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure.”
Asked if he had made clear to the FIA that it risked pushing him out of the sport, Verstappen added: “At the end of the day, I don’t know how serious they would take that kind of stuff.
“For me at one point, when it’s enough, it’s enough, and we’ll see. Like I said, racing will go on, F1 will go on also without me. It’s also not a problem for me. It’s how it is.”
Verstappen called the current impasse with the FIA “super silly,” reiterating that his use of the profanity was not aimed as an insult at an individual.
He added: “For me personally, with these kind of things, I know, of course, you can’t insult people. That is quite straightforward. I think no one really wants to do that.
“It’s all a bit too soft really and honestly, it’s silly. It’s super silly what we’re dealing with.
The 26-year-old believes the actions of the FIA means drivers will be unable to express themselves.
“Yeah, for sure. I mean, if you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak,” he said. “That’s what no one wants, because then you become a robot and it is not how you should be going about it in the sport. It is going the wrong way to create that [authenticity].
“I think you should be able to show emotions in a way. That’s what racing is about, or any sport.
“I mean, anyone walking around on a pitch, if they get tackled or get pushed, or they’re not happy with something, or there’s a frustrating moment or something that they get asked about. It’s quite normal that there can be a sort of reaction.”
He revealed he shared the stewards’ decision with other drivers in a group chat for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) and received their support.
“I wrote in the GPDA [chat] the ruling, and everyone was almost laughing, you know, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ Basically. So, yes, it is very, very silly.”
Source: www.espn.com