Max Verstappen has said his punishment for swearing in an FIA press conference has left him reconsidering his Formula 1 future.
For the second day running, Verstappen gave monosyllabic responses to questions raised by journalists in the FIA press conference. Afterwards, his Red Bull team facilitated a second press conference where he would freely reply.
With journalists crammed into the Red Bull hospitality, Verstappen was first asked about his decision not to open up in the FIA press conference, born as a consequence of his community service punishment for using the word “f*****” in a live FIA press conference on Thursday.
When asked by Autosport if this latest punishment was making him reconsider his future, he replied: “For sure. Yeah. I mean, these kinds of things definitely decide my future as well.
“When you can’t be yourself, you have to deal with these kinds of silly things. I’m at a stage of my career that I 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 once you have accomplished all that, winning championships and races, then you want to just have a good time as well.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“Everyone is pushing to the limit. Everyone in this battle, 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.”
When asked if he thought F1’s governing body was aware it risked losing a multiple world champion, he said: “I don’t know how serious they will take that kind of stuff.
“But for me, of course, at one point, when it’s enough, it’s enough. We’ll see, everything will go on in Formula 1 without me, it’s not a problem, but it’s also not a problem for me. So it’s how it is.”
Verstappen, relaxed and engaged in something of a cathartic experience, also opened up on if the threat of punishment was depriving him of being authentic.
“Yeah, for sure. If you can’t really be yourself, like, to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak at the end of the day,” he said.
“But that’s what no one wants, because then you become a robot, and that’s not how you should be going about it in the sport.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, lifts the trophy in celebration
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Verstappen, who finished in second place in the Singapore GP behind
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