Max Verstappen's threat to quit F1 after FIA row at Singapore GP - 'Decide my future'

Max Verstappen is back in Singapore this weekend, one year after his behaviour in the same city briefly brought his Formula 1 future into jeopardy. The reigning world champion was penalised for swearing at a press conference and didn't react too kindly to the treatment by the sport's higher-ups. During the fallout, he warned that the reaction was the sort of thing that might impact his longer-term future in F1. Twelve months later, he's still around, but some other changes have been made.

Verstappen was ordered to carry out "work of public interest" as punishment for his language, having said his car was "f***ed". Later, he refused to speak to media at the FIA's official presser, and took things further after the Grand Prix itself. "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." Verstappen continued.

"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 was among the most vocal in what some drivers saw as attempts to police their language. The Singapore drama occurred in October 2024, and the following month, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association released a strongly worded statement outlining the feelings of its members.

"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 said in a statement. It was their first such public statement since 2017 - perhaps an indication of how seriously they took things.

"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 continued. "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 the time May 2025 rolled around, the FIA had agreed to dial back on its demands of drivers. The governing body confirmed the maximum base fine for bad language was being cut in half to €5,000, following demands for actions not words from GPDA director and Mercedes driver George Russell.

On top of this, stewards have been given the opportunity to suspend punishments if an offence is the first committed by a team or driver, while there is recognition that behaviour on the track will be regarded differently from comments not made in the heat of the moment. Harsher and more "serious" punishments aren't completely off the table, but now only apply to "very serious offences".

"Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport," F1 stewards' chief Garry Connelly said at the time. "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, himself a former rally driver, indicated he had held conversations with a number of 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 said.