F1 boss begs Hamilton to stay and makes "selfish" point after Verstappen threat
The chief executive of Formula 1 reacted to Max Verstappen's threat to quit the sport and declared he "1,000 per cent" wants Lewis Hamilton not to retire.
Verstappen's hint that he would walk away came ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last month. He has made it known he is not a fan of the Sprint format and appeared especially annoyed at the prospect of more changes to the weekend structure.
And so the Red Bull racer made it clear his F1 career will be more brief than expected if such adaptations continue. But Martin Brundle was not convinced by that threat and his own team boss Christian Horner also expects the Dutchman to remain in the sport for many years to come.
As for Stefano Domenicali, the F1 chief also expressed his opinion that Verstappen will remain in the sport for a long while yet. But, in response to criticism from drivers about the pre-race presentation ceremony ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, he called on all those involved in F1 to "think bigger".
"I don't want a society in which people cannot say what they want," Domenicali told the Daily Mail. "But drivers sometimes need to remember that they are part of a broader picture. We don't need to be selfish. They are part of this sport and this business, and it grows because we are thinking bigger.
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"Sometimes, being out of our comfort zone is not easy, but we cannot be lazy or complacent – just as we can review some of the specifics of the Sprint weekend format at the end of the season once we have tried it out on the intended six occasions.
"We won't have Sprints every weekend, either. But we have a new audience and need to provide value for money every session, not let everyone drive around in circles for the sole benefit of engineers and drivers.
Domenicali wants drivers like Verstappen to "think bigger" (Getty Images)"I discussed the issues with Max [before the Miami race]. He said he loved the sport and what he was doing. He is world champion and is fighting for a third title. He was born in a car. I would say he is likely to stay longer than me. It's not a problem."
As for others who might leave the sport, there has been speculation about Hamilton's future with his current Mercedes deal expiring at the end of the season. Domenicali said he didn't want to give the Brit advice, but made it clear he is desperate to see the seven-time world champion continue racing in F1 for years to come.
He added: "I'd like him to stay in the sport 100 per cent, 100% – 1,000%! He loves our sport. He has been in it since he was a child. Now his role in F1 is getting bigger than an F1 world champion, given the way he gets involved in a lot of things outside the sport and takes an active role in society. He takes us towards new dimensions.
"But his love is Formula 1 and, of course, he wants to achieve his dream of being the only driver to have won an eighth title. Toto [Wolff] is totally focused on making Mercedes improve. He told me he made adjustments within the team to be sure that there is the right intensity to gain performance as soon as possible. I am sure this will happen very, very soon."
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