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Max Verstappen made no secret of his doubts after the Japanese Grand Prix. The new regulations have worn down his motivation, the Red Bull is not competitive, and he said openly that he needs to think about his future in the sport. Ralf Schumacher has listened to enough of it. His message to Verstappen is blunt: make a decision and stop complaining.
"Then That Is Just How It Is"
Schumacher addressed the situation directly on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. "Even though I would think it a shame, if Max stops, then honestly that is just how it is. The next one will come along." He was not being dismissive of Verstappen's talent. He simply does not think the sport should organise itself around one driver's uncertainty. "Isack Hadjar is coming through now and he is already at a very high level. Not yet in races, but in qualifying he was already showing a better level, even accounting for Max doing some testing. But just let him stop. He needs to do what makes him happy."
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Schumacher Understands the Personal Side
Despite the directness of his sporting verdict, Schumacher showed more empathy when it came to the lifestyle element of Verstappen's complaints. Verstappen mentioned after Japan that the length of the calendar keeps him away from home for extended stretches, and that weighs on him. Schumacher recognised the feeling immediately. "I know that exactly from my own time. When you travel the whole year, year after year... He is now saying: do I not prefer to be with my family? Would I not rather meet up with friends? It is those simple things, like being able to say: I am going to play cards with my friends one evening a week, on Wednesday night. None of that is possible."
It is a side of the Verstappen debate that gets less attention than the sporting frustrations. The calendar has grown significantly in recent years, and even for someone earning what Verstappen earns, the personal cost is real. Whether that alone is enough to drive him out of the sport before his Red Bull contract expires remains to be seen.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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