Max Verstappen issues Red Bull warning as F1 star bites back at fan criticism

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Max Verstappen has now bitten back at Formula 1 fans who questioned the Red Bull driver for criticising the ‘show’ around the Las Vegas GP over his £50m-a-year salary.

The 26-year-old did not hold back with his grievances over how F1 organised the Las Vegas GP throughout the race weekend in Sin City. Verstappen took issue with all of the pomp and pompous surrounding F1’s first time racing in Nevada since 1982 and first time on the Strip.

Unlike every other race on the F1 calendar, Formula 1 and the series’ owner, Liberty Media, promoted the Las Vegas GP. They took over the responsibility of securing the race and every aspect afterwards that a promotor would normally do. But their work ruffled some feathers.

Verstappen slammed the ‘99% show’ Las Vegas GP that F1 organised

Verstappen first hit out at the Las Vegas GP after the pre-event launch party that F1 held on the Wednesday. The Red Bull driver slammed the event for making the race ‘99% show and 1% sporting event’. Kylie Minogue and John Legend played at it beside lasers and fireworks.

“For me, you can skip this,” Verstappen said, via quotes by The Guardian, whilst making his ‘99% show’ remark. “It’s not about the singers. We are just standing up there, looking like a clown.” The three-time F1 champion also had ‘zero interest’ in the pre-race party F1 put on.

The chance to drive on the Las Vegas Strip did not improve Verstappen’s mood once the Red Bull driver finally hit the track, either. He simply said, ‘No’, when asked after FP2 if the Dutch star had enjoyed driving the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. But his mood did improve after winning.

Verstappen sang Viva Las Vegas on the radio on the Red Bull driver’s in-lap after winning the Las Vegas GP. He also agreed to join teammate Sergio Perez and wear Elvis Presley-inspired overalls for the race. But some of his regular criticisms rubbed a few F1 fans the wrong way.

Verstappen replies to suggestions the Red Bull driver could skip future races

Verstappen has spoken to The Telegraph ahead of this week’s season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and the Red Bull talent reflected on his criticisms of the Las Vegas GP. He also replied to the criticism fans gave for slating the ‘show’ given, The Telegraph notes, his £50m-a-year wage.

Some F1 fans suggested Verstappen should not question how the series sought to promote what it hoped would be one of, if not the, biggest events on the calendar. And if he feels so strongly, the 53-time Grand Prix winner should consider skipping such events in the future.

But while Verstappen has sent Red Bull a potential warning that he could consider skipping races in the future, he does not feel his salary is a by-product of F1’s growth. Red Bull were paying Verstappen more than £25m-a-year in 2020 before later extending his deal in 2022.

“I’m not sure where I would stand contractually on skipping a race,” Verstappen told The Telegraph. “But in terms of the salary, I really don’t think that makes any difference to my contract. I don’t think it depends for Red Bull on how much money they make in F1.

“I mean, up until like, a couple of years ago, every team was making losses, and I was still getting a big salary. So, it has nothing to do with that. And Red Bull, I think, is also bigger than just their Formula 1 activities, you know?

“It’s always very easy to say, ‘You shouldn’t complain because look at how much money you make’. But who [cares] about how much money you make? It’s about just speaking your mind and speaking about what you think is right, or what needs to be taken care of in the sport.”