The most dominant driver of the era has sent shockwaves through the paddock by questioning his future in the sport, and a long-time rival has now weighed in on the potential void he would leave; Yankee Scores reports on the technical “deal-breaker” that has a four-time champion eyeing the exit.

George Russell claims that Formula 1 would not wish to lose Max Verstappen – but would understand should the four-time world champion choose to quit the sport this year.

The Retirement Threat: Verstappen’s Discontent in Suzuka

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen stated that he was thinking about his future in F1 due to his discontent with the behaviour of the cars under the new rules that have been introduced this year.

Russell, who has had a strained relationship with Verstappen in the past, said: “Formula 1 is bigger than any driver, so you would not want to lose Max, because I believe we all like to race against Max.

But the British driver said: You would know had he remained and you would know had he gone.

Battery Battles: The Problem with 50-50 Power Units

The issues raised by Verstappen revolve around the new power-units that have been introduced this year, and the extent of energy management that is needed.

The engines are almost 50-50 divided between internal combustion and electrical power. This, along with a sequence of complicated regulatory restrictions, has brought about a new type of driving and racing.

Verstappen is not a fan of either of the two major changes – qualifying laps are not on the limit at all times, in the traditional sense, due to the necessity of recharging the battery; and racing is being influenced by the massive differences in battery charge level and the new overtaking and boost modes – all of which result in enormous speed differences among cars.