Formula 1 News: Verstappen ‘still happy’ to tolerate F1 ‘show’

(GMM) Max Verstappen insists he is “still happy” to be a Formula 1 driver, even though his patience seemed to be wearing thin at the tail-end of 2023.

On paper and on the track, the Red Bull driver utterly dominated the sport this year, easily cruising to his third consecutive drivers’ title.

But at Las Vegas in particular, Verstappen seemed to lose his cool with the overt ‘show’ aspects of the event, warning that a further escalation in the years to come could see him decide to retire after his 2028 contract expires.

The 26-year-old admits he’s not even a fan of street circuits.

“Personally, I’d ideally like to race on all the great tracks in the world,” Verstappen is quoted as saying by Kronen Zeitung newspaper.

“But unfortunately that is not possible in Formula 1 – and I understand that too,” said the Dutchman.

But it’s the ramping up of the artificial ‘show’-elements of events like Las Vegas that Verstappen has a bigger problem with.

“A little bit of show is important,” he admits. “But I love emotions. When I was a little kid, it was the emotions that made me fall in love with sport, not the show around them.

“For a real racer, the show shouldn’t matter.”

After Las Vegas, where he ramped up his criticisms of Formula 1 to fever pitch, Max’s father Jos said he had spoken to his son about moderating some of his opinions.

Max now says: “I understand that the fans also need to be entertained. But it’s also important that we show them what our sport really is about.

“Because so many people are only coming now because they want to have a party or see a DJ.”

However, he smiled when he admitted that he’s prepared to tolerate the show versus sport ratio – for now.

“At the moment I’m still happy, let’s put it that way,” said Verstappen.

If F1 becomes all-electric, Verstappen will leave

Verstappen predicts that Formula 1’s petrol-powered days are coming to an end.

When asked where the sport will be in a decade, the triple world champion told Blick newspaper: “Petrol will probably be gone.

“But our sport is already becoming greener and more sustainable. What is for certain is that Max Verstappen will no longer be there,” he laughed.

In 2014, the sport made the controversial move from loud, fuel-guzzling naturally-aspirated engines to hybrid ‘power units’, with the electrical elements and sustainable fuels to ramp up even more for 2026 and beyond.

Little, however, has been heard about F1 potentially looking into hydrogen – which can be produced with wind or solar with water as the only by-product.

But now, F1 and the FIA have announced that a working group is being set up in conjunction with the FIA’s off-road Extreme E series – which will be renamed Extreme H from 2025 as it switches to hydrogen power.

Formula 1’s chief technical officer Pat Symonds explained: “Our sport has a tradition of bringing new technologies to the forefront of public perception in incredibly short timescales.

“This working group enables a collaboration which will allow us to gain first-hand experience and contribute to the understanding and development of the many aspects of hydrogen propulsion that Extreme H will embrace,” he added.