Dear Max,
We know you’re unhappy. We get the message.
Seldom has there ever been a more prolonged blub in the history of Formula 1.
Yes, we know you don’t like the new regs. Yes, the RB22 is a little bit sh*t compared to some of your rivals. And, yes, we know you think it’s akin to “Mario Kart racing.”
Oh yeah, and “Formula E on steroids.” That was a good one.
We know all of this.
We also know you believe the tweaks the FIA have made to the energy deployment of the cars for Miami – done mainly to appease you and your whining – are, in your view, merely a sticking plaster. Or, “a tickle,” as you put it.
I thought maybe after a five-week hiatus, you could have come up with something a bit more original, but, hey. Message received … again.
We also know you’ve had your head turned by the glamour of endurance racing, where I guess you can put your foot down for all its worth and not have to worry about “boosts” or “harvesting” or “energy deployment.”
Just imagine that!
But there will come a time…
Actually, scratch that.
The time has already passed when your whining strikes a chord. At least with F1 fans. It’s not even remotely funny or edgy anymore. It’s just tiring.
Okay, so you have the ear of Stefano Domenicali, I’ll give you that, but he has a vested interest in keeping you sweet.
And he’s right. The sport would be worse off without you. You’re the most gifted driver in F1 right now and are already considered one of the greats. No one, even those to whom you grate, will deny that. (I said grate, not great).
But even Max Verstappen can’t hold the sport to ransom. You know, the one that’s afforded you riches beyond your wildest dreams and which turned you into a global superstar.
Of course, no one is denying you have made some valid points, albeit in your inimitable style. The new cars are (currently) flawed and, by their own admission, the FIA haven’t got it right.
But let’s also not forget why today’s engines are a far cry from the eco-busting V10s of yesteryear. You have a young daughter, right? (Congrats by the way). Well, wouldn’t it be rather nice if she, and her children, and their children, had a beautiful planet to grow up in?
Ultimately, F1 is taking the lead on something quite important. Something, get this, that’s even bigger than the ego of Max Verstappen.
But yeah, I agree the FIA haven’t yet got it right, and I’m sorry that the RB22 plays tricks and doesn’t allow you to go full throttle down a straight. I’m also sorry that, for now, the Red Bull Ford Powertrain isn’t even close to giving you a win.
Must be awful for you.
Especially with that annoying George Russell zooming off into the distance.
Maybe that’s it? Maybe that’s what this is all about?
Either way, please please give it a rest. The FIA have already bent over for you a little bit, and if things don’t improve in Miami, I fully expect them to do so some more.
But if you really hate it that much, the exit door is an option. Rather than talk and hint incessantly about walking through it, actually walk through it.
You’ll be missed, of course you will, but F1 will survive. And eventually, the FIA will rid these cars of this god-awful Mario-Kartness (now you’ve got me at it) and on we’ll all go. Racing again.
Or… you could just stop whining.
Regards,
Many F1 fans who don’t support Red Bull.
