Max Verstappen has raised fresh doubts over his Formula 1 future after being sanctioned by the FIA for swearing during an interview.
Verstappen was ordered to do “community service” after throwing an “F” at a press conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. The Dutchman was found guilty of a regulatory offense after describing his Red Bull car as “f***ed”, with his argument that English is not his first language and is not enough to allows someone to escape punishment. “While commissioners recognize that this may be true, it is important that models learn to be careful when speaking in public forums, especially when they are not under particular pressure,” they said. Verstappen gave a series of short answers during a press conference on Saturday, appearing to hit back at the FIA following his sanction and continuing to make his feelings clear after Sunday’s Grand Prix. The reigning world champion started second on the grid behind Lando Norris and that’s how things ended in Singapore. After the race, however, he indicated that his future in the sport was far from certain. “This kind of thing also definitely decides my future, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these types of idiots,” Verstappen said, according to the BBC.
“I’m at a point in my career now where I don’t want to deal with this all the time. “It’s really tired. For me it’s no way to continue in the sport, it’s certain that Norris closed the gap at the top of the drivers’ classification with his victory, even if the British driver lost the fastest lap bonus to Daniel Ricciardo” in the final moments. We have to keep trying and at some point try to turn things around a bit, not always finished behind. But we’ll see how it goes,” Verstappen said after closing the gap.