"It means the world is upside down" - Max Verstappen's manager terms idea of F1 drivers' salary cap as 'total idiocy'

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen recently described the debate around a salary cap for F1 drivers as “total idiocy”. Given the different levels of value each driver brings to his respective team and the sport as a whole, he expressed his opposition to the idea.

As reported by PlanetF1, Vermeulen said:

“Total idiocy. Drivers increase the value of a team, and to then give whoever you buy that value from, the driver, a limit, it means the world is upside down. Take a look at the facts. A grand prix came to the Netherlands thanks to Max [Verstappen]. Zandvoort pays an annual amount to FOM to organise the race, a large part of which is divided among the teams. So they benefit from that. It would then be very strange if you were to limit only the driver’s earnings model. They are also very firm that they will never support it. You need these investors and sponsors who invest in talent and want to be associated with that driver for a long time. A salary cap will affect the entire sport.”

Earlier this year, Max Verstappen signed a record multi-year contract worth €50 million with the Milton Keynes-based team. Meanwhile, several other teams, including Alpine, Alfa Romeo, and McLaren, are in favor of the salary cap.

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Max Verstappen claims he may quit F1 at the end of his contract with Red Bull

Max Verstappen's current contract with Red Bull keeps him in the team until the end of the 2028 F1 season. The Dutchman recently revealed that he is unsure of his plans for when his contract expires, while strongly suggesting that he has no intention of moving to another team within the sport.

As reported by PlanetF1, the Red Bull driver said:

“I’m not planning on changing teams. I’m happy here and they are happy with me. But I haven’t made up my mind what I will do after 2028. I might stop. I have been in Formula 1 since I was 17. It’s been a long time. I’ve done a lot of seasons in F1. I may want to do different stuff. By 31, I don’t know whether I will have peaked or where the drop-off in performance may have occurred.”

The reigning world champion, however, did not deny the possibility of moving to another motorsport post-retirement, saying:

“I want to do other types of races — endurance racing, for example. Maybe I will have had enough of traveling all the time. Maybe I will want an easier life and just to do the races I like. Whenever an opportunity comes to win a championship, you want to take it. If I’m in a fight in 2028 it may be stupid to suddenly stop. It’s difficult to know.”

Verstappen is currently leading the drivers' standings with a nine-point lead against Charles Leclerc.