Following a recent controversy involving a community service penalty, Max Verstappen has expressed increasing doubts about his future in Formula 1. The three-time world champion was reprimanded by the FIA for using foul language during a press conference. “I don’t need to continue in the sport in this way,” an irritated Verstappen responded later. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, these words should be taken very seriously.
“These kinds of things definitely also determine my future – if you can’t be yourself or have to deal with this kind of nonsense,” said Max Verstappen after receiving a community service penalty from the FIA. “At this stage of my career, I don’t want to be constantly dealing with this. It’s really exhausting. I don’t need to continue in the sport in this way, that’s for sure.” Helmut Marko emphasizes that these are not empty threats from the Dutchman.
“You have to take that very seriously,” the Austrian explained. “He has already achieved so much – for him it is now important that he can still enjoy the sport a bit. If that is increasingly spoiled, then he is someone who at some point says: ‘Okay, that was it.’ He means it seriously, but I myself hope that the current situation does not cause him to retire sooner.”
What About ‘Drive to Survive’?
Regarding the incident with the FIA, Helmut Marko was brief. He accused the sport of double standards; in the popular Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’, swearing is commonplace. “That is incomprehensible,” said Marko. “Moreover, Max (Verstappen) did not want to offend anyone. He was referring to the car, an object, and did so in a light-hearted way.”
“Perhaps he should not have done that during a press conference in the afternoon,” Marko admitted. “And who knows, he may approach it differently in the future, especially now that it is being strictly enforced. But it seems clear to me that this was all a bit exaggerated.”
