Max Verstappen has explained that contractual clauses with Red Bull could restrict him from potentially skipping a Grand Prix if he ever felt that such a level of protest was needed. The Dutchman has been very vocal in his criticism of the direction in which F1 bosses are taking the sport.
The reigning world champion was never far from the headlines in Las Vegas last weekend as he slammed the organisers for the showbiz and razzmatazz surrounding the race, claiming that it was “99 per cent show, one per cent sporting event.”
His complaints didn’t start and end with the extracurricular activities in Las Vegas either. The 26-year-old was less than impressed with the track design, even doubling down on his comments after FP1 and FP2.
Verstappen has also been the leading voice of opposition in the ongoing debate regarding F1’s experiment with sprint races. His major gripe with the format is that it both dilutes the Grand Prix on the Sunday, while also giving too much away regarding the team’s race pace for the main event.
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In a chat with The Telegraph ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen was asked whether or not he would consider skipping a race to make a point to F1 bosses should he feel it was necessary. He replied: “I’m not sure where I would stand contractually on skipping a race.”
Verstappen then went on to explain that his considerable salary does not mean he cannot express his frustrations with the direction in which F1 is heading. “It’s always very easy to say ‘You shouldn’t complain, because look at how much money you make’,” he continued.
“But who gives a f*** about how much money you make? It’s about just speaking your mind and speaking about what you think is right, or what needs to be taken care of in the sport. I don’t care if I make $2 million or $100 million. I don’t care. I want to always voice my opinion.
“That’s how I grew up. That’s how I think we work as a team as well. Like I don’t care about if it’s the big boss, or the local security man, you know? It doesn’t matter to me. You should always be able to speak your mind. And people should be able to take criticism. Because if you can’t take criticism, you’re not going to evolve as a person anyway.”
