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The FIA was quick to call attention to Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull contract, saying his commitment to Formula 1 shows the sport is in a healthy state.
Verstappen agreed to extend his current deal despite having previously indicated he could leave F1 due to his strong dislike of F1’s power unit regulations and the effect they have had upon the race.
“You just think about: ‘is it worth it, or do I enjoy being more at home with my family, seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport’?’” he said in March.
“When you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver,” he added.
The FIA said Verstappen’s new contract, and those of Williams drivers Carlos Sainz Jnr and Alexander Albon who also announced new deals this week, “underlines the healthy state of the sport.”
Verstappen warned about the potential changes to F1’s rules this year before they were introduced and has been vocal in his criticism of the current cars since pre-season testing earlier this year. “As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat-out and at the moment you cannot drive like that,” he said.
Verstappen’s implied threat he would walk away from Formula 1 if it did not fix its disastrous regulations and fake racing was the best hope it might correct its course.Now that hope is dead.www.racefans.net/2026/08/20/v…#F1
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine.bsky.social) 2026-08-20T08:31:17.592Z
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