Max Verstappen has not yet made peace with Formula 1’s governing body after being sanctioned for swearing in at a press conference, but he is clear about what he would like to see happen in an ideal world.

“Drivers need to get more power,” Red Bull’s three-time world champion told Reuters in an interview ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

“It’s a difficult one, I know, but I think this is something very important for the future, for the young drivers and not so much for us.

“I mean, I’m happy with what I do, even if a lot of things change. If I’m not happy, I quit. I’m done,” the 27-year-old added.

But the young kids who are now working towards their goal of coming to Formula 1, that is the main priority: making sure that it doesn’t just get worse for them than it is.”

When asked what he meant by more power, Verstappen replied: “The right to vote. In any case, that we can actually be involved in the discussion.”

“I mean, that would be ideal. I know it’s very unlikely, but if you leave it up to the teams it will be a disaster anyway because they only speak for themselves.”

The suggestion is unlikely to gain any traction with those in power, or those who pay the wages, but Verstappen has never been one to hold back on or off the track.

On his way to a fourth title in a row, and 57 points ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris with five laps to go, Verstappen says he cares little about the big numbers.

Verstappen was under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 and said he just wanted to have fun. He warned last month that the FIA’s stance on swearing could hasten his departure and insisted he still felt the same way.

He said he had no desire to match Fernando Alonso’s 400 races, a milestone the Spaniard achieved in Mexico, or continue racing into his 40s like old title rival and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

“Now that I have won championships and races, my goals in Formula 1 have been achieved, so there is a little less pressure,” he said.

“For me it’s not about winning eight titles or improving the winning record. I know I can do that, but you also need luck in a way, because it takes a long time to be in the right team.

“Yes, I could continue until I’m forty, but I don’t want that.

“I don’t want to look back when I’m 80 years old, and hopefully I’ll make it to 80, and look at myself and say, ‘Jesus! I’ve been racing for 40 years, and I’ve basically wasted 15 years.’ good years of my life (if I could still do that) in which I had a good time with family and friends’.

“Okay, maybe you win a few more championships and races, but that’s not what life is about for me.

“When I’m 80 years old, I want to look back and say, ‘Yes, I had a good time racing, I did everything I had to do, I loved my life and I lived my life.’ That’s what I want to do.”

Verstappen has won seven races so far this season but is currently on a nine-race losing streak, even as his lead remains relatively comfortable.

He has led the championship since May 2022, a run he is expected to continue in 2025, and last year he won 19 of 22 races in the most dominant campaign ever.

“I think the most special will always be 2023,” he said, comparing his titles.

“But I also know that it can’t be like this every year. I said to myself, ‘don’t expect another season like this because you will get very frustrated’. And that’s what I have accepted.”