Formula One F1 - Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore - September 22, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen during a post race press conference after finishing second place in the Singapore Grand Prix REUTERS/Caroline Chia
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Max Verstappen suggested he could turn his back on Formula One sooner than expected if the sport's governing body stopped him having fun and being himself.
Red Bull's triple world champion was ordered by stewards to do "work of public interest" with the FIA after he used a swear word in a press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix last Thursday.
The penalty, which he described as 'super-silly' on Sunday, led the Dutch driver to give only terse replies in FIA press conferences and meet reporters elsewhere in a paddock media huddle.
He did the same after finishing second in the race behind McLaren rival Lando Norris, using the opportunity to explain further why he felt so strongly about the penalty.
"These kind of things definitely decide my future as well," he said. "When you can't be yourself or you have to deal with these kind of silly things.
"I think now I'm at the stage of my career that you don't want to be dealing with this all the time.
"It's really tiring. Of course, it's great to have success and win races but once you have accomplished all that, winning championships and races, then you want to just have a good time as well."
Verstappen has spoken previously about retiring from Formula One while still comparatively young, emphasising that he would not go on as long as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, 39, and Fernando Alonso, 43.
"If you have to deal with all these kind of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that's for sure," said the 26-year-old.
Asked if the FIA might relent if they were told they risked pushing a multiple world champion out of the sport, Verstappen doubted they would take it very seriously.
"For me, of course, at one point, when it's enough, it's enough. And we'll see. I mean, like I said, racing will go on," he added.
"F1 will go on also without me. It's not a problem. But it's also not a problem for me."
Verstappen said he felt he was being prevented from being authentic.
"If you can't really be yourself, like to the fullest, then it's better not to speak," he said. "That's what no one wants, because then you become a robot and it is not how you should be going about it in the sport."
(Writing by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
