Max Verstappen doubles down after Red Bull star’s retirement threat

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Max Verstappen has doubled down on his criticism of Formula One’s sprint races, months after suggesting he will retire if the events continue to be added to the calendar. The Red Bull star will compete in another sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.

Verstappen is a vocal critic of sprint races and has condemned the sport’s authorities for doubling their total to six for 2023 – up from three when they were introduced in 2021. He believes sprint races are to be blamed for disqualifications handed to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the United States Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified from the United States Grand Prix after they failed post-race checks. Planks on their respective Mercedes and Ferrari cars had worn beyond the 1mm allowance.

Verstappen, who secured the Drivers’ Championship in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race, insists those incidents would not happen if teams had more time to prepare with practice sessions.

“We should just get rid of the sprint weekend and then everyone can just set up their cars normally. It wouldn’t have happened that we would have had a normal race weekend,” the world champion-elect said.

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“These things only happen when you have a sprint weekend where everything is so rushed into your in-between FP1 and qualifying.

“From our side, I think we went a bit too conservative, but that’s still better than the other way.”

It comes after Verstappen threatened to quit the sport over revamped sprint race rules earlier this season. The three-time world champion said he “won’t be around for too long” if sprint races continue to be added to the calendar.

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Sprint races were introduced in 2021, with three across the entire season. That number has since been doubled to six – and Verstappen is not a fan.

Speaking at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April, Verstappen said: “I don’t find that is in the DNA of Formula One to do these kind of sprint races. I hope there won’t be too many changes, otherwise I won’t be around for too long.

“I am not a fan of it at all. When we do all that kind of stuff, the weekend becomes very intense and we already do a lot of races.”

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