Max Verstappen highlights loss facing F1: 'It's a shame'

Max Verstappen has labelled F1 losing iconic circuits from the calendar a "shame" after what is expected to be the championship's final trip to Imola of the foreseeable future.

It is part of the series' gradual transition away from conventional, old-school venues, which are being allowed to drop from the schedule in favour of more city-based street tracks. 

The Dutchman comfortably took victory in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for Red Bull, his fourth-consecutive victory at a location steeped in Formula 1 history.

Imola's contract with F1 expires at the end of the year and there has thus far not been talk of a renewal, prompting Verstappen to be asked about losing some of the four-time F1 drivers' champion's favourite tracks from the calendar, including Barcelona, Zandvoort and Spa (on a semi-permanent basis).

"Losing these kind of tracks is a shame," he replied to media including RacingNews365. "I get it from F1’s side of things, of course - the new tracks that we are going to.

"You have to see it from a sportive side and a financial side, right? If you want to grow the business and make it more popular, I get it.

"For me, of course, personally, when I just speak about the enjoyment of driving, it’s these kind of tracks that made me fall in love with racing in general - in go-karting even, because you have the same thing in karting where some tracks are more special than others.
 
"And then, of course, when you started watching Formula 1, there were always these few tracks where you just... I don’t know, you look at the speeds, you look at how difficult they are to master.

"The history of the sport at certain tracks. You know, it’s all very special and gives you a bit more emotion to things. So, yeah, it’s definitely a shame for me personally, but what can I do about it?"

Verstappen: 'I didn't really have a lot of hope...'

Verstappen's triumph was just his second of the F1 season, but with drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri only finishing third, the 27-year-old is a mere 22 points adrift in the standings.

Coming into the weekend, the now-65-time grand prix winner did not have "a lot of hope" he could walk away with victory.

"I love driving here, but at the end of the day, you're still bound to what you get, right, with your car," he reflected. 

"Now I think the last few years our car has always been working really well here. Of course, before I got here this weekend, I didn’t really have a lot of hope that we could actually win a race here.

"But then I think from yesterday onwards, the car was more competitive over one lap and luckily also today.

"I definitely enjoy driving here, but at the same time, the car has to work as well, to be able to do this."