Verstappen warns Domenicali: “Don’t change Formula 1 too much, it’s already crazy enough”
On the eve of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Max Verstappen sent a clear message to Formula 1: be careful not to change the sport too much. After Stefano Domenicali suggested the possibility of shorter races and fewer free practice sessions to appeal to younger fans, the Dutch driver expressed his doubts.
“I understand the fans’ point of view, because it’s always more exciting to see the cars racing rather than just running in practice,” admitted Max Verstappen. “But Formula 1 has been this way since the 1950s. Of course, sports evolve, but we must not exaggerate. A sprint race is already, from my perspective, crazy enough.”
The four-time world champion also explained that the current race format is not a problem: “The duration is right. Sometimes an hour and a half, sometimes two. In other sports, sometimes a match is thrilling and sometimes it’s not. That’s sport: it can’t always be spectacular, otherwise it becomes boring.”
“It’s not a disaster, but we want to win”
Apart from the debate over formats, Verstappen also reflected on his challenging season. After four consecutive titles, the Dutchman had hoped to fight for a fifth crown, but McLaren’s progress has left Red Bull chasing.
“This year I don’t really have big issues with instability anymore,” he explained. “The car isn’t a disaster to drive, but it simply isn’t as fast as I’d like. Somebody else has done a better job than we have. Formula 1 is a complex sport, and the small details make all the difference. We’re not at the back – I’m third in the championship and I’ve won races – but here the standards are very high: we want to win, not finish second or third.”
Those words perfectly capture Red Bull’s current reality: a team used to dominating the sport, now forced into the role of the pursuer.
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