Ben Sulayem Says F1 Outlasts Verstappen Amid Exit Rumours — Mark Webber Views On Verstappen
Mohammed Ben Sulayem pushed back on the mark webber views on verstappen chatter by saying Formula 1 is bigger than any one driver, even as rumours swirled that Max Verstappen could walk away at the end of the season. The FIA president said the sport would keep moving if the four-time world champion left.
Ben Sulayem on Verstappen
Speaking during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Ben Sulayem said: "F1 is bigger than anyone else. Presidents come and go; teams come and go; promoters come and go; drivers come and go. I just saw Verstappen, and he was positive. The changes are going in the right direction,"
He added: "When you’re winning and then suddenly you’re not, of course you express your opinions, and I can understand that. It’s the cycle of things," and then went further on the prospect of a departure. "He won the title four times, and what did others say when he was winning? People say things, but do they really mean them?"
Verstappen's 2026 concerns
The comments landed against a backdrop of Verstappen's frustration with the new generation of cars and the 2026 regulations. According to a report in De Telegraaf, those frustrations have led him to consider retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season.
Verstappen has repeatedly questioned the drivability of the new cars and whether he still enjoys competing under the current rules. For Formula 1, that is the friction point: one of its biggest names is not simply losing races, but openly challenging the direction of the product he is driving.
Montoya and the penalty talk
Juan Pablo Montoya added another layer by suggesting Verstappen should face consequences for criticising the 2026 regulations. He said: "You have to show respect for the sport you live for," and proposed enough penalty points to almost trigger a race ban or leave Verstappen parked for one race.
Ben Sulayem's message was different. "If Max ever leaves, we’ll miss him, but the sport will go on. So many stars and teams have come and gone, but Formula 1 and the FIA will always remain," he said, drawing a hard line between the driver and the championship itself.
