Retirement Verstappen, Russell: “F1 greater than any driver. Porpoising destroyed our backs but he didn’t complain”

Russell accompanies Verstappen to the door After the Suzuka GP Max Verstappen threatened to retire from an F1 he no longer recognises, sparking a series of controversies. The Dutchman’s very strong words did not please F1 president Stefano Domenicali, who indirectly criticized him, but they certainly shook the environment and forced the Circus itself to look in the mirror at the new regulations. On the drivers front, Verstappen is certainly the most active in criticizing the new F1. The others take rearguard positions, also for fear of exposing themselves publicly, but their notes are listened to by F1, which for example involved them in the online meeting on 13 April. The most “silent” among these were undoubtedly Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, due to the superiority of Mercedes. And it was the Briton who provoked Verstappen, motivating his attacks on F1 with the poor results of Red Bull. Russell’s words “Formula 1 is bigger than any driver. You wouldn’t want to lose Max, I think we all like racing against him and it’s an integral part of the sport”, these are Russell’s words. “I didn’t like driving the 2022 car, porpoising destroyed everyone’s backs. The car was big, heavy and in high-speed corners it wasn’t very pleasant to drive. But he didn’t complain about it, because he won.” “He complains differently from the Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren drivers, because we are at the top of the grid, and it’s completely natural. You understand and recognize the frustration,” he added. “But he’s achieved what most drivers dream of, which is to win a championship. He’s won four. Ultimately, I think he’s reached a point in his life where there’s really not much else to achieve in Formula 1. Maybe he could go for records, but, knowing him, he’ll want to do what makes him smile.”