Max Verstappen threatened to quit F1 at Singapore Grand Prix after row broke out

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has been outspoken throughout his time in F1, with a prime example coming at the Singapore GP

Max Verstappen returns to Singapore this weekend, a year after his conduct in the same country momentarily put his Formula 1 career at risk. The Red Bull driver faced penalties for using profanity during a press conference and didn’t take kindly to how the sport’s authorities handled the situation.

Throughout the controversy, Verstappen argued that the reactions could influence his long-term commitment to the sport. A year on, he remains part of F1, though certain changes have been implemented.

Verstappen received orders to undertake “work of public interest” as punishment for his language at the Singapore Grand Prix, after describing his car as “f***ed”. Subsequently, he declined to engage with journalists at the FIA’s official press conference and escalated the matter after the race.

“I mean, these kind of things definitely decide my future as well,” he said. “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.

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“Of course, it’s great to have success and win races, but once you have accomplished all that, winning championships and races, you want to just have a good time as well.

“Of course, everyone is pushing to the limit. Everyone in this battle, even at the back of the grid. But if you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me, that is another way of [not] continuing in the sport.”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem found himself at the centre of what some drivers felt were efforts to police their language. The controversy kicked off in Singapore in October 2024 and the following month saw the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) issue a strongly worded statement.

“There is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as an F1 car or a driving situation,” the GPDA stated. This marked their first public statement since 2017, indicating the strength of feeling that the incident had caused.

“We urge the FIA president to consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise,” the statement read on. “Further, our members are adults. They do not need to be given instructions by the media about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery or underpants.”

By May 2025, the FIA had decided to ease up on its demands on drivers. The governing body announced that the maximum base fine for foul language would be reduced to €5,000, a decision made after GPDA director and Mercedes driver George Russell called for actions rather than words.

Additionally, stewards now have the discretion to suspend punishments if an offence is a team or driver’s first infraction, acknowledging that on-track behaviour will be viewed differently from comments made outside of the heat of the moment. More severe and “serious” penalties haven’t been entirely ruled out, but are now reserved for “very serious offences”.

F1 stewards’ chief Garry Connelly explained at the time: “Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport.

“How they act really does matter but it is important to recognise that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference.”

Ben Sulayem, a former rally driver himself, suggested that he had engaged in discussions with various motorsports figures and organisations. “The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute,” he stated.