Verstappen doubles down on F1 quit threat

Max Verstappen has reiterated a threat to walk away from Formula 1 if it continues to put what he considers to be business priorities ahead of sport.

This weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the first of six sprint rounds this season but the first run to an altered format, with the shortened Saturday race getting its own qualifying session and standing alone from the main event on Sunday.

Verstappen stirred controversy at the Australian Grand Prix when asked about the changes, telling Portuguese TV that he “won’t be around for too long” if the sport continues tinkering with its weekend format and increasing the number of events in a season.

Asked in Baku whether his quit threat was serious, Verstappen pointed out that he’s always intended for his F1 career to be short.

“I always said that anyway, even if there won’t be any more sprint races or whatever,” he said. “But yeah, I do feel that if it’s getting at one point too much, it’s time for a change.”

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Verstappen has described changes to the format as antithetical to the sport’s DNA, and this week he said that’s because F1 was taking a commercial-led approach to the weekend rather than one led by competition.

“I look at it from a racing point of view, and probably F1 looks at it from a business point of view,” he said. “Of course I understand. These sprint races, they probably add a bit more excitement. But I look at it from the racing point of view.

“Normally when you then do the sprint races, that’s exciting — few shunts in there, damage, blah, blah, blah, safety car, a bit more excitement — but throughout the race you get quite a clear picture of what is happening, who is quickest, so you also have quite a clear view on what is going to happen on the next day.