Timo Glock feels “Max Verstappen should be taken seriously when he says he might leave F1”. Timo Glock warns that Max Verstappen’s threats to leave Formula 1 should be taken seriously.

The five-second penalty given to Max Verstappen at the last Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was not well received by the four-time world champion from the Netherlands, who appeared very frustrated in his immediate post-race comments and during the subsequent press conference. It’s not the first time that the #1, in response to other penalties or unwelcome decisions, has reacted with rather blunt remarks, or even suggested he might leave Formula 1 for other competitions if the world of the sport no longer appealed to him.

All bark and no bite? For former driver Timo Glock, Max Verstappen’s ‘threats’ should not be underestimated, as he may seriously follow through on them, as he indicated to Sky Deutschland: “He has often said there are other championships besides Formula 1 and that there is still much to explore in motorsport, whether it’s endurance racing like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or other classics, similar to what Fernando Alonso did,” the 43-year-old commented.

Glock didn’t just refer to on-track penalties that might annoy Max Verstappen, but also to the rules concerning swear words used during press conferences, which led the Dutchman to serve community service during the last Singapore GP: “I think it could happen if he says it’s all too stupid and too regulated for him. I can imagine him making a personal decision and saying it’s over for now,” Glock continued. “Maybe he’ll come back at some point, but he can and should be taken seriously when he says something like that. I believe he would take that radical step and say goodbye if he were no longer allowed to say anything in front of the microphone and were constantly penalized.”