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Helmut Marko believes Formula 1 can thrive without Max Verstappen if he decides to leave. Verstappen has expressed concerns about the sport's direction and regulations, although recent adjustments may address some of his issues.
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Helmut Marko says Formula 1 wonāt fall apart if Max Verstappen chooses to walk away, though heād rather the three-time champion didnāt go anywhere.
Verstappen has been open about his issues with the sportās direction. Back in March, he raised concerns about the new regulations and hinted that they could influence his decision to stay. While he did call the tweaks made for Miami a positive move, Verstappen still feels the overall approach is fundamentally flawed.
In response, F1 teams have already agreed to adjust the balance between internal combustion engines and electric power from around 55/45 to 60/40 starting in 2027. Verstappen will likely be pleased with this change too. But according to him, removing the electric element entirely would be an even better solution.
Even then, a full return to combustion engines isnāt expected until at least 2030 and there will probably still be some level of electrification involved.
Verstappen is set to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend, which will be his biggest GT3 event so far. Thereās speculation that he could eventually make a permanent move to another discipline.
Marko told sport.de that while it would be a significant loss for F1 if Verstappen did walk away, the sport wouldnāt be without someone else to step into that role.
Lando Norris is now a world champion, and Verstappenās peers include top drivers like Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli continues to impress as the current championship leader with Mercedes.
āMaxās departure would certainly be a great loss, but thatās how it is in sports,ā Marko said. āWhen someone leaves, a new one comes along and becomes the star. But itās not just about whether Max likes it. Itās about racing.ā
Marko has raised doubts over whether F1 can ever return to what he calls āpure racingā with the current generation of cars, no matter how many changes are made to the rules.
The FIA is trying to reduce the number of āyo-yoā overtakes seen early in the season, even though some fans have found them entertaining.
āWhat has been initiated in the short term is far from sufficient to get the premier class back on track,ā Marko said. āTo what extent we can achieve a return to pure racing, I donāt know.ā
Speaking about reports that F1 could switch back to V8 engines by 2030, Marko added: āThe sooner it comes, the better.ā
Read more:
Helmut Marko stated that Formula 1 would not collapse if Max Verstappen chose to leave, although he prefers that Verstappen remains in the sport.
Max Verstappen has voiced concerns regarding the sport's direction and the new regulations, indicating they could impact his decision to stay.
Starting in 2027, F1 teams will adjust the balance between internal combustion engines and electric power from 55/45 to 60/40.
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