Stefano Domenicali is "not concerned" over Max Verstappen's critical comments of Formula 1, saying he welcomes such contributions. World Champion Verstappen has been very vocal in his criticisms of F1's push towards sprint races and an ever increasing calendar and has floated the possibility of stepping away from Grand Prix racing when his Red Bull contract expires in 2028. And F1 CEO Domenicali, who has an open dialogue with the two-time champion believes it is ok if Verstappen disagrees with some aspects of the championship.
Domenicali welcomes Verstappen comments
"I'm not concerned at all because it would be wrong to not cover the personality of the driver," Domenicali explained on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast when asked if he was concerned about Verstappen's comments. "You can have different opinions, but at the end of the day, we have to take responsibility of having the bigger picture. You need to consider that every one of us has a bigger role to play and the growth of the sport, the growth of this business, is connected to this vision sometimes. "Our sport is the leader on how we engage our heroes that are the 20 drivers, no other platform is engaging with the fans, or with the sponsors, or with the media, or with everyone. "It's a great recognition on how everyone is involved in the growth of the sport. I'm not worried because I think that I have a very good relationship with Max. We talk and I would never interfere in the choice of his future. "But if there is something that for the benefit of the sport I have to take, and Max doesn't like, I will try to explain. "If he doesn't agree, it's okay. That's part of the game.
"One of the best ever"
During his long spell in F1 at Ferrari, Domenicali worked alongside the likes of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, and while he would not be drawn on comparing drivers of different era, he did praise the Dutch driver as "one of the best ever." 'I would say the numbers are speaking by themselves," Domenicali said. "I don't like to compare drivers of different generations because things are different, but in terms of driving skills. in terms of approach to the race, [Max] is impressive. "Of course he has an incredible car that highlights his [skill] but for sure he is one of the best drivers ever. There's no doubt."
Most read
