“Not Afraid by the Political Game”: Alain Prost Heaps Praise on Max Verstappen for Trashing F1’s Iconic Move

Although Max Verstappen is known to be a driver who stays away from the politics of F1, four-time champion Alain Prost believes that the Dutchman is not afraid of voicing his opinions when needed. The Frenchman believes that similar to Lewis Hamilton, the 26-year-old also shares his thoughts on topics that concern him.

Speaking of the same, Prost told Motor Sport Magazine (as quoted by PlanetF1.com), “I was very pleased to listen to what he also said about not liking the sprint races. At least he says what he thinks and is not afraid by the political game. I like that.”

Alain Prost on Max Verstappen:

️ “For me it’s good to see a driver like him. I was very pleased to listen to what he also said about not liking the sprint races. At least he says what he thinks and is not afraid by the political game. I like that.”

“I like him very much…

— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) January 30, 2024

It would appear that Verstappen has a personal brawl with the very concept of sprint races. Every time the topic is brought up, the 26-year-old has had something snarky to say. He once even said, “We should just get rid of the sprint weekend,” as quoted by Racingnews365.com.

The three-time world champion’s disdain for the sprint format is unrivaled. He has even threatened to quit the sport altogether if the number of sprint races keeps increasing or the traditional weekend format changes.

The real reason why Max Verstappen hates the F1 sprint race format

While Max Verstappen has been highly critical of the sprint race format, he has also given his reasons for doing so. According to the Red Bull driver, the sprint race really isn’t a real race but a gimmick that rewards the ones who can just ‘survive‘.

During the Australian GP race weekend, formu1a.uno quoted the eventual race winner as saying, “For me, a sprint race is all about surviving. It’s not about racing.” For him, the biggest concern is either crashing or damaging his car before the main Grand Prix, which is where the real points and glory are on the line.

Drivers were asked to suggest changes for the sprint format in the press conference

Max Verstappen: “Just a normal race weekend, please, thank you. I’m not interested in any change. I don’t like it.”

[@LukeSmithF1] #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/4vdFRMnFXn

— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 4, 2023

While a crash during a sprint event can have immediate repercussions on the driver’s entire weekend, Verstappen’s concerns run deeper. A hefty shunt could wrack up a million-dollar repair bill and could be detrimental to a team’s finances, especially in the strict cost-cap era.