Max Verstappen suggests that excessive penalties for swearing might expedite his departure from Formula 1.
The Formula 1 driver, nicknamed Red Bull's racer, was ordered by racing's governing body, FIA, to perform "public duty" following his use of a profanity during a press conference on Thursday prior to the Singapore Grand Prix.
In response to the penalty, the three-time champion responded tersely to pre-race press conferences, opting for chats with journalists in the paddock away from the official media session. His decision earned support from several fellow drivers who were taken aback by Verstappen's punishment.
Following his second-place finish behind Lando Norris in Singapore on Sunday, Verstappen kept his responses brief during the post-race media session, later voicing his frustration over the penalty's impact on him.
"Such incidents impact my future as well. I can't be myself, or I have to deal with these absurd things," the Dutch driver told reporters, as reported by Reuters. "Now, I'm at a stage of my career where I don't want to deal with this all the time."
"It's draining. Of course, it's thrilling to succeed and win races, but once you've achieved everything—winning titles and races—you wish to enjoy yourself too."
Verstappen added: "If you have to deal with such petty issues, for me, it's not the way to proceed in the sport, that's for sure."
According to its decision, the FIA stated that Verstappen had described his car's performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix using unsuitable language "unfit for broadcast." The FIA further emphasized: "Role models should learn to be mindful when speaking in public forums, especially under no particular pressure."
During a private media session, Verstappen claimed broad support from his fellow GPDA members, as reported by racing website Autosport and the Guardian.
"Yeah, definitely. I shared the FIA's ruling in our GPDA (WhatsApp chat), and everyone was nearly laughing, like: 'What the hell is this?' essentially. So, yeah, it's quite absurd," Verstappen said.
Reports claimed that Alex Wurz, the spokesperson for the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), called the punishment handed out to Verstappen overly severe.
On X, formerly Twitter, Wurz surprisingly commented on the punishment for cursing, saying: "I wonder how many days of community service Guenther would get...," referencing Guenther Steiner, the ex-team principal of Haas, famously known for his frequent swearing on the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive."
Representatives from GPDA, Wurz, and the FIA have been contacted by CNN for further comment.
26-year-old Verstappen, known for contemplating retirement at a younger age than most, expressed strong feelings about self-expression on Sunday.
"If you can't truly be yourself, completely, then it's better not to speak. No one wants that because you become like a robot, and it's not how a sport should be approached."
Verstappen's lead at the top of the drivers' championship was reduced to 52 points following his second-place finish behind Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Despite his love for motorsport and being a successful Formula 1 driver, Max Verstappen expressed frustration with the strict rules in sport, specifically in motorsport, which he believes hinder his ability to express himself freely. This led him to consider if it's better to stay silent altogether to avoid feeling like a mechanical robot, instead of expressing his true feelings.
