Max Verstappen has threatened to slam the brakes hard on his Formula One career after the latest controversy. The FIA, the world body which governs motorsports, decided to pull him up for using the ‘F’ bomb two days before the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend. The three-time world champion, whose daring driving and master control at the wheels of the Red Bull beast have seen him dominate the past few seasons, was upset his car was not up to the mark in the qualifying phase of the previous race in Azerbaijan.
For those who think athletes are supposed to be on their best behaviour during every and any competition, profanity is unacceptable. Yet, if Verstappen cursed the RB 20 car for being poor and not fast enough, it only appeared in the public domain because whatever he says on radio in the form of communication with his team gets picked up. Problems arose when the FIA hauled him up and said he had to “accomplish some work of public interest” as a sort of punishment. It left Max Verstappen smarting, following which he has let off steam.
Three days after the Singapore Grand Prix, held from September 20 to 22, the palpable sense of outrage among the F1 drivers on the grid has resulted in rare unity. Sample this, even the drivers who are bitter rivals on the race track have come out in support of the Dutchman, who has been advised by well-meaning people like Nico Rosberg, former F1 champion, to focus on the season. Verstappen currently leads the driver standings with 331 points but needs to be wary of Briton Lando Norris, who has 279 points in his McLaren. The season ahead comprises four more races in Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas and Qatar before the last round in Abu Dhabi.
Even as the season eases off, mildly, as there is a gap till the Mexico GP, October 25 to 27, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) is going to convene a meeting to discuss the ‘punishment’ given to Verstappen. Contrary to perception that the F1 drivers are bitter rivals when they are racing, they do have their own WhatsApp group. Conversations from it have emerged and been posted in public, and they show that everyone is behind Verstappen as the sanction to do public service is seen as draconian. Lewis Hamilton, F1 superstar and someone who has himself taken on the FIA, has also rallied behind Verstappen and said he (Max) should not undertake “public service”.
For generations of F1 fans who have watched the sport, where speed and daring keep the adrenaline flowing, Verstappen using the F word was no big incident. There is anger and frustration in this sport where everything happens so fast. If Verstappen said something in the heat of the moment, he cannot be pulled up like a school kid. That is the fear among the F1 community, where drivers on the grid now see FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem as some kind of a schoolmaster. Sulayem had talked of “motorsport being different from rap music”, which is being laughed at on social media.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
Alexander Wurz, a former F1 driver who is chairman of the GPDA, came out with a great one-liner recently in the media: “How many lifetime community services would Guenther Steiner (former Haas team principal) have to use for the F-word?”
Back to Verstappen, and it is heartening to note that despite his rivalry with Hamilton, they are on the same page now. The Briton has also stirred controversies in the past when he refused to take off ear rings and a nose stud, which were seen as safety hazards for an F1 driver. Hamilton did protest and got a waiver from the FIA but not many had rallied around him in 2023.
In the F1 world, each driver is a strong personality. With a packed calendar getting longer, it makes the season gruelling for the drivers and teams. By the time one season ends, the next is around the corner. “I couldn’t even say the F-word, I mean it’s not even that bad right?” said Verstappen. “I mean the car was not working, the car is effed and then, excuse me for the language. Come on, what are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds? Even if a 5-year-old or 6-year-old is watching, they will eventually swear anyway even if their parents won’t or they will not allow it.”
If he says he will walk away from F1, it is bad news. Everyone wants to see Verstappen the champion around. He may well end up winning this World Championship as well.
“For sure, these kind of things definitely decide my future as well,” said Verstappen. “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.”
A clear indicator that he could quit F1 and move to some other branch of motorsport.
Also Read: It is much more than Anand’s ability that inspired a generation