The FIA has come down hard on Max Verstappen by punishing him with community service for using swear words at a press conference in Singapore. This happened after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had cautioned against the use of such words early in the week.
As a result, Verstappen has retaliated against the actions of the FIA. While many think that this is a result of the FIA battling with the drivers, F1 expert Glenn Freeman believes that the governing body’s real battle is with F1 over the bleeped-out radio messages during the broadcast.
However, Freeman believes that the FIA is fighting a losing battle on both fronts. He thinks that it is almost impossible for drivers to stop using swear words when they are in the heat of the moment.
Second, when it comes to the bleeped-out messages, he thinks that F1 will not take them away as they are good entertainment for the viewers. In a recent conversation with Edd Straw and Scott-Mitchell Malm on ‘The Race’ podcast, Freeman noted;
“His problem really is with the F1 organization that broadcasts it. And frankly, I think that’s also picking a fight that he can’t win because F1 isn’t going to stop using these brilliantly larry radio messages with the wording bleeped out for the main broadcast because using a phrase that we all know very well in 2024, it’s good content. It’s not going away.”
He also mentioned how Liberty Media is going to introduce something similar to the MotoGP championship. He supported his claims by pointing out that while it makes little sense for radio messages to be used in bike racing, these messages give the audience an insight into the minds of the racers and what they are thinking in such heated moments, which is why they are here to stay.
Verstappen threatens to quit F1 amidst the FIA’s efforts to ban swear words
While Verstappen was visibly unhappy and irritated at first and thought that the drivers were being treated like kids, he ultimately threatened to quit F1 when asked by the media if this situation was making him think about early retirement.
While others might think that this is just sulking on Verstappen’s part, Scott-Mitchell Malm defended the Dutchman by highlighting that all this just adds to the frustration of a driver who has already won and achieved everything the sport has to offer.
Furious Max Verstappen hints on early F1 retirement after FIA censorship
After the race, an angry Max Verstappen stated that the actions of the FIA are pushing him closer to an early retirement from F1. Max is deeply disappointed by the FIA’s censorship, saying that drivers… pic.twitter.com/DnmK9NqMvc
— Marc (@433_marc) September 22, 2024
“What he’s saying is this feeds into wider frustrations where he ends up thinking actually is this worth it because look, he’s made a lot of money many times over, he’s won three World Championships; could win a fourth this year. He’s achieved everything and more that he set out to in Formula 1,” Malm added.
And this isn’t the first time Verstappen has spoken up about an early retirement either. Even last year he shared a similar sentiment when the Formula 1 calendar was expanded to 24 races in a season.
