Verstappen 'likes' F1 less than before

Aug.21 (GMM) Max Verstappen admits he doesn’t “like” Formula 1 as much as he once did.

The Dutchman is cruising to his third consecutive drivers’ title, but he has recently been outspoken about rule changes that are designed to spice up the ‘show’.

“Yes,” the Red Bull driver told De Telegraaf, “because I am concerned about the sport that I have always loved.

“I still like it, but to a certain extent. It’s not that I’m completely against change, but they must be adjustments that benefit Formula 1.

“Why do we need to change certain things when they’re working fine? I think a traditional qualifying session is good enough in that form. You shouldn’t make changes just for the money,” the 25-year-old added.

Verstappen even doubled down on his claim that he may even quit Formula 1 before the end of his current contract in 2028.

“People may think ‘he earns a lot of money, what’s the guy complaining about?’ But it’s about wellbeing, not how much you earn,” he said.

“Sometimes I think I have to do too many things and I wonder if it’s still worth it. I spend more than a month a year on marketing and at a certain point you don’t feel like it anymore.”

Verstappen is also wary about Red Bull’s current level of performance potentially taking a dive in the next few years.

“It would have to be very bad and dramatic, I think,” he said. “I don’t really expect a team to be able to fall back that far, especially with all the good people we have.

“But it’s true that I don’t see myself driving around in the midfield for three years. Then I’d rather stay at home or do something else.”