Verstappen expresses his intentions of leaving the sport seriously.
Formula-1 champion Max Verstappen is really upset about getting a penalty, and he's considering quitting the top tier of motorsports altogether. His advisor and consultant with Red Bull, Helmut Marko, spoke with Verstappen and said, "Max means business."
After calling his car "unfixable" during a press conference before the Formula-1 race in Singapore, the FIA handed down a punishment to Verstappen for his foul language. This news left the Dutch driver seething. Retirement was even mentioned as a possibility by Verstappen himself. According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport consultant, however, this was not just an idle threat.
"Max needs to be taken seriously," Marko emphasized in an interview on the "Formel1.de" YouTube channel. The 81-year-old, who is a close friend of Verstappen's, did not make this statement lightly. He had a "thorough" discussion with the 26-year-old about the issue on Tuesday, according to Marko.
Verstappen had already made it clear before the October break in Formula-1 that he didn't appreciate having his language scrutinized by the motorsport governing body. "Enough is enough," commented the three-time world champion on his punishment.
"Max has achieved a lot, but it's important for him to still enjoy and have fun with the sport. If that's increasingly taken away from him, then he's the type... If he says, 'Okay, that's it,' then he means it," Marko stated bluntly, but also added: "But I hope that the current situation won't lead to an early retirement."
Marko criticized the double standards in F1. While former Haas team principal Günther Steiner gained a cult following through overusing the word "fuck", Verstappen is punished for a slip of the tongue.
"It's a case of different rules for different people," Marko complained. Moreover, Verstappen "didn't mean any person, but he meant the car, an object, and that in a carefree way."
In response to Marko's assertion, Red Bull Racing stood by their driver, challenging the FIA's penalty against Verstappen's use of language. Despite the controversy, Marko reiterated his belief in Verstappen's dedication to the sport, stating, "Red Bull Racing fully supports Max and believes in his passion for Formula-1."
