A Record-Breaking Championship Winning Season Set to Cost Max Verstappen $997K

Success comes at a price tag. Despite dominating the field with Red Bull, Max Verstappen could be forced to shell out big money from his pockets to pay the FIA. The Red Bull driver isn’t done yet, with races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi yet to take place. However, Verstappen winning both of them would be bad news for his employer, Red Bull.

Max Verstappen crossed the checkered flag, well ahead of anyone else to take home his 14th GP of the season. He broke the record of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher to win most races in a calendar year. Furthermore, he also smashed Lewis Hamilton’s record of scoring the most race points in a season.

However, little did he know that breaking records would burn a hole in his pockets. The super license tax is calculated for each driver based on the number of points they score over the course of the entire season. This means that Max could end up paying $997,295 to renew his super license, which would be a record fee.

The renewal fee is reportedly around $10,443. and drivers have to pay $2,107 for each point scored. Therefore, Verstappen would have to pay a hefty fee to race again next year.

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However, fortunately for Verstappen, his Red Bull contract reportedly has a clause, which includes bonuses per point. This means that the Milton-Keynes outfit will pay Max’s end-of-season taxes.

Max Verstappen calls out the FIA for increasing sprint races next year

After debuting the sprint race format in 2021, F1 confirmed that it will host 6 sprint races next year. The final sprint race of this year will take place in Brazil. Moreover, Max Verstappen has called out the FIA for increasing sprint races to 6 next year. The Dutchman doesn’t enjoy the risks associated with the sprint races.

Verstappen said, “Every time I do these [sprint] races, it’s about ‘don’t get damage, make sure you stay in the top three. For me, that’s not really a race, because you go into the main race and you know there are way more points available anyway, you just risk a bit more there.”

He further added, “You do another start, which is exciting, but it’s only really people who are out of position that move forward because only you put a tyre on that just lasts a whole stint and not much happens.”

Verstappen believes that the FIA should stick to the main race and does not feel the need for sprint races. He further believes that the sprint race is not exactly a race.

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Be it a sprint race or a regular one, Max Verstappen has been on fire recently. Verstappen will be looking to seal the season by winning the remaining 2 races, despite the consequences. Can anyone beat the Red Bull driver at the moment?