"I sometimes think he's not having fun": Damon Hill interesting observation about Max Verstappen

It is no secret that Max Verstappen is by far the most dominant driver on the current F1 grid. He can easily win or at least finish on the podium in every single race of the 2023 F1 season. The man himself also declared that his ultimate goal was to win the world championship once, and everything else that came after it was an added bonus for him.

Hence, former F1 world champion Damon Hill speculates that the Dutchman might not be having too much fun in the sport anymore.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, F1 presenter Jess McFadyen mentioned how Max Verstappen is simply having fun in the sport and will leave when it stops being fun for him. She said:

"I mean, well, he's having fun and I think his point is that I will keep going until it stops becoming fun."

Damon Hill quickly picked up on the word 'fun' and shared how he sometimes feels that Max Verstappen is not having fun. He puts it down to the new race format, more duties being added for him as an F1 driver, or simply because of a lack of competition. Hill explained that if the Dutchman is not having fun, driving in F1 will become a chore for him. He said:

"I think that's a very important point: is he having fun? Because I sometimes think he's not having fun. And I think that's something that, you know, you have to love what you're doing, don't you? Otherwise it's a grind."

This is quite an interesting point by the former F1 world champion since Max Verstappen has also casually mentioned how he could leave the sport at any time if he does not feel passionate enough.

This statement is quite bizarre as it comes from a reigning world champion who is in his prime and will most likely win several more titles if he continues. Only time will tell how Verstappen will steer his career going forward.

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Max Verstappen declares that he would leave the sport if F1 keeps bringing changes

The reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, has clearly expressed his dislike towards the new race weekend formats. As F1 is gradually moving towards being more of an entertainment sport, Verstappen is consistently speaking against the changes. He is particularly against the introduction of sprint races and the reduction of free practice sessions.

In response to Stefano Domenicali's idea of removing practice sessions, the Red Bull driver said:

“I’m happy with just the main race. I think that’s way better for the excitement. I naturally, of course, hope that there won’t be too many changes, otherwise I won’t be around for too long. I’m not a fan of the sprint. It is what it is. Some like it, some don’t.”

Since Verstappen has also mentioned how anything beyond his first world championship is a mere bonus, talks about his retirement will not die down anytime soon.