World champion Max Verstappen reiterates threat to quit F1

Max Verstappen has once again suggested he is ready to quit Formula One, doubling down on a claim he made earlier in the season.

Already it looks likely that Verstappen is going to win the F1 drivers' world title, despite the fact it's only early in the fourth race weekend of the year.

The reigning world champion has already won two of the first three races, finishing as runner up in the other, in a race he started 15th.

He's even had time to take a couple of digs at rival Lewis Hamilton, who has at least led his Mercedes car to a runner-up spot, but looks unlikely to win a race at the moment.

Despite that dominance, and the fun he's having at his rival's expense, the Dutchman has actually shown his frustration at the sport, and questioned his long term future.

Those initial issues were over the threat of more sprint races being introduced, with the first one this season taking place this afternoon in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Since then, the sport have revealed the other destinations that they're looking to add races to the calendar, despite this year being one of the fullest schedules ever.

Now Verstappen has hit out at the prospect of more races, saying he could quit over potential burnout. "If we keep expanding the calendar and the whole weekend is that long, at one point you question yourself 'is it worth it?'", he told reporters ahead of qualifying.

"I do like racing, I do like winning. I know that of course the salary and everything, you have a good life, but is it actually a good life? I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where maybe you want to do other stuff.

"I know that I have a contract until the end of 2028, and then we'll review again. But I do feel that if it's getting at one point too much, then it's time for a change."

Verstappen won the Australian Grand Prix but he's still not happy. Image: Alamy

This year there is 23 races, though there was originally meant to be 24 races until China backed out of hosting a Grand Prix and wasn't replaced.

That gave the drivers a longer break between the Australian GP last time out and this weekend's race in Azerbaijan but they won't get more than a couple of weeks off again until the summer break.

In comparison, there was only 19 races in the season in Verstappen's first year in the sport, when he raced for Toro Rosso back in 2015.

This year's sprint races have changed, with Friday's qualifying for Sunday's race, whilst a separate qualifying for the sprint taking place early on Saturday.