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SINGAPORE — Max Verstappen has always made clear that he won’t be on the grid forever, no matter how much he loves racing and winning in Formula One.
As the youngest-ever starter and race winner in the sport’s history and one of its most prolific victors, a long career a la Fernando Alonso or Kimi Raikkonen would surely put Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s championship and win tallies well within Verstappen’s grasp.
He’s never cared for records. Nor has he cared for the all-encompassing nature of F1 at times with an ever-growing calendar. As Verstappen made clear at Zandvoort in August, where he made his 200th F1 start, he is closer to the end of his F1 career than the start — even at 26.
The thought of what post-F1 life may look like, even with one of the most lucrative contracts in F1 that runs through to 2028, is very present in Verstappen’s world outlook.
The events of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend may have only accelerated that thinking for Verstappen. On the track, it was his best race in nearly a month. Second place was a great result, considering how bleak the outlook was at one stage of the weekend and that it was a comprehensive defeat to title rival Lando Norris,
But off the track, it was the FIA’s response to Verstappen’s language that sparked rightful frustration from the three-time world champion.
His use of one word (“f—ed”) in Thursday’s press conference while talking about his car — an inanimate object without feelings — caused the FIA to leap into action and deem it “misconduct.” It was a move that seemed borne out of making an example of Verstappen, who is required to complete community service for F1’s governing body.
Verstappen responded with a protest in the FIA press conference after qualifying on Saturday, deliberately giving brief answers because he feared he might get fined or have another day added to his sanction. He gladly spoke to journalists outside of the room, slamming the decision as “ridiculous.”
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The protest softened ever so slightly on Sunday. His answers were longer, if still brief. When The Athletic asked Verstappen if he’d still rather speak outside of the press conference, he replied: “It’s been a long day. Yeah.”
By then, Red Bull had already scheduled Verstappen to have a separate media briefing in the team’s hospitality unit straight after the press conference. There, the Dutchman’s demeanor changed, returning to his usual effusive and (importantly) opinionated self.
“For me personally, there is absolutely no desire to then give long answers when you get treated like that,” Verstappen said. He knew he’d met the requirements of attending the press conference and giving answers, as brief as they may have been. Even the FIA would have conceded it was a clever tactic.
The ruling itself still angered Verstappen. He posted about it in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association WhatsApp group with all the other F1 drivers and said, “Everyone was almost laughing, you know, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ Basically. So, yes, it is very, very silly.”
Verstappen has hinted before that his retirement could come sooner rather than later. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
But Verstappen also considered the bigger picture. If F1 continues to follow this path, where drivers can not be their authentic selves, it will naturally impact how much longer he wants to stay on the grid.
“For sure, these kinds of things definitely decide my future as well,” Verstappen said. “You know when you can’t be yourself, or you have to deal with these kinds 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.”
Verstappen knows what it’s like to win races and championships. And he wants to enjoy his time racing. “But if you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure,” Verstappen said.
He also criticized the sanction given to Carlos Sainz for crossing the track on foot under a red flag to return to the pit lane after his qualifying crash on Saturday. “I mean, what are we talking about? It’s a red flag,” Verstappen said. “Cars are coming in. I think it’s quite safe, and he knows what he’s doing. We’re not stupid. These kinds of things, like when I saw it getting noted, I was like, ‘my god…’”
It saps away Verstappen’s love for F1. No, swearing isn’t necessary. But everyone in the paddock is a grown-up, and for many people, English is not their first language. Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff also pointed out that a press conference is not intended to be widely broadcast, given its purpose is primarily for the media. To come down so hard on the world champion as a result of one careless word there seemed harsh.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner felt the FIA could have handled it better and “would have avoided any awkwardness” as a result. “We’ve seen members of the royal family telling photographers to take a f—ing photo,” Horner said, referring to Prince Phillip’s filmed comment in 2015. Horner used the word in a media session, not the FIA press conference, putting it outside the governing body’s jurisdiction.
The hubbub has led to any swearing in the paddock this weekend becoming a source of humor. Horner referred to race winner Lando Norris as being a “lucky bastard” for his wall glances during the race and joked he hoped he didn’t get sanctioned for that. When a journalist used a curse word when framing a question to Verstappen, the world champion pulled a shocked face and joked that they should be careful.
Verstappen was unsure how the matter would be resolved. He said he didn’t mind holding separate media sessions aside from the press conference and that any conversation needed to include the FIA and its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as well as Formula One Management.
But should the existing approach remain steadfast and not be open to flexibility, then it could play a part in costing the grid not only one of its greatest talents but also one of its most honest characters. At a time when F1 is continuing to grow and wants to hype up its drivers as gladiators, it seems like a backward step.
“If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak,” Verstappen 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).”
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Top photo: SIPA USA