Max Verstappen is currently the poster boy of Formula 1, alongside Lewis Hamilton. He is currently doing all the winning in his Red Bull. 2023 is the year for them. However, unlike former champions, he has often called out the rigorous demands of the sport. With Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali lobbying for more races, the Dutchman spoke up again.
An Early Exit?
Max Verstappen is enjoying a lot of success in Formula 1 right now. Some might argue he is enjoying the most dominant run in the sport’s history. He has the fastest car, bulletproof reliability, a slower teammate, and isn’t making a single mistake. Add to that his natural speed, and you got the recipe for such dominance.
However, Max Verstappen has often hinted at an early exit from the sport. His current Red Bull contract ends in 2028. A lot of sources, including his biographer Mark Hughes, think he will leave the sport before or after this contract ends.
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Why is this even a possibility?
Max Verstappen claimed his only goal was to win a world championship. Now that he has done that, there is nothing to make him stay. He isn’t interested in making or breaking records, despite being on the cusp of many this season itself.
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Other than that, Max Verstappen has often spoken up against the new changes Formula 1 is bringing into the sport. He has called out the sprint format multiple times. However, he is definitely against the Formula 1 calendar expanding further and further.
In 2024, the calendar will have 24 races and a minimum of 6 sprints, as said by Stefano Domenicali. This is a massive amount of commitment for a driver and a team. However, Max Verstappen is the highest-paid driver on the grid, even more than Lewis Hamilton. So why does he complain? He says it’s not about the money but the well-being.
He points out it’s not the number of races or the travelling that tires him out that much. It’s the amount of marketing he has to do on top of the actual racing. He explains how long each Thursday is, apart from the other media interview throughout the weekend. Add to that all the other marketing he has to do for Red Bull, and you are looking at more than a month every year. We can’t blame him.
