Traditionally, F1 journalist Peter Windsor was back on his YouTube channel after the race in Austria to answer questions from fans. Following the incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in which Norris had DRS on Verstappen, one of the viewers wondered whether the current use of the DRS system could lead to Verstappen deciding to step away from the sport for a while. Windsor took the time to share his vision on this.
After the race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Windsor didn’t waste any time in expressing his strong opposition to the use of the DRS system. In the Cameron F1 podcast, Windsor already shared that he thinks the system ‘ruins everything’. According to the Briton, using DRS prevents drivers from making a well-thought-out overtaking manoeuvre. According to Windsor, a perfect overtaking manoeuvre with DRS is therefore out of the question. The journalist suspects that he is not the only one who thinks so.
Comparisons with 2021
The overtaking manoeuvre in Austria after which Norris dropped out caused a lot of commotion in the United Kingdom. Verstappen allegedly robbed Norris of a race victory by not adhering strictly to the prescribed rules of conduct. In the British media, comparisons were quickly made between the incident in Austria and the battle for the world title between Verstappen and Hamilton in 2021. But it did not stop with the British media, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also thought she saw a connection.
“Stella said that Verstappen is now confirming what everyone already knew and that this is a repeat of 2021. When I heard that, I asked myself: what planet is he on?” Windsor begins. “In 2021, my only gripe with Verstappen was the race in Saudi Arabia. At the end of the championship, Helmut Marko said that if Verstappen got into a situation with Hamilton where they both went into the first chicane and Verstappen flew out of the race, there would be no problem for him. If Hamilton flew out of the race, that would be a great result for Verstappen so he shouldn’t worry about his aggressive driving. I commented on that at the time.”
Windsor sees absolutely no similarities between 2021 and the race in Austria. ‘What happened in 2021 was completely different to what happened in Austria, because Verstappen was now at the front. There was no need to be aggressive. In Austria it was about defense. I just really don’t understand how Austria can suddenly take us back to 2021 and that it can be said that the whole world already knew what Verstappen is like.’
A well-deserved sabbatical
Windsor has no doubt that Verstappen hates DRS as much as he does. ‘I’m sure he thinks overtaking is an art, because he’s incredibly good at it. If you’re good at something and it’s neutralised by the rules, how would you feel? You’d feel like you’re wasting your time. I’m sure Hamilton likes DRS now, because it’s giving him something. Whether he would still be happy if he’d been fighting for pole position, had a 3-second lead and then lost it to DRS and ended up in second place… I wonder. DRS is just childish.’
The journalist therefore does not find it such a strange idea to suggest that Verstappen might choose to step out of Formula 1 for a while. ‘He also has to think about the rest of his career and what will happen in 2026. Who will have the best car then and after that?’ A switch to Mercedes does not seem likely for Verstappen. ‘I am not so sure that Mercedes will have the best engine. I think Red Bull will do a good job.’
If Verstappen does want to leave the sport for a while, Windsor thinks his departure will take a while. ‘He’s not going to stop at the end of 2024, Red Bull is still doing very well. They still have the momentum they’ve had for the past ten years. That will continue even without Adrian Newey. So Verstappen is in a good position until the end of 2025. There is an argument for him to say that he’ll take a year off at the end of 2025 and come back in 2027. Then he can see who’s doing well. Why not? He’s earned that privilege.’
