The Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be a trickier than usual affair for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as he found himself unable to take victory in either of the weekend’s races amid a series of unfortunate setbacks.
The Sprint race proved to be challenging for Verstappen early on, as he took damage in the early stages after contact with the Mercedes of George Russell.
This incident left Verstappen struggling in his battle for points, as he failed to overtake Charles Leclerc or get close to challenging his teammate Sergio Perez for victory.
The Grand Prix wouldn’t prove much more successfully for Verstappen, as he took P2 behind his teammate after a poor strategy call hurt his ability to compete for victory.
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Having pitted under yellow flags following an incident with the AlphaTauri of Nyck De Vries, Verstappen found himself behind Perez when a later deployment of a safety car helped the Mexican keep hold of P1.
1996 World Champion Damon Hill was surprised how irritated Verstappen was over the weekend despite remaining at the top of the Drivers’ Standings, believing that the Dutchman’s attitude might have hampered his chances in Baku.
“I got the sense that there’s something a bit out of sorts with Max at the moment,” Hill told Sky Sports.
“He’s talked about not wanting to race after 30 and all of this stuff.
READ: Max Verstappen shares his excuse for being beaten by Sergio Perez in Azerbaijan
“Why is he talking about this now? He’s right in the middle of a Championship. It’s a bit odd.”
The talk of a possible retirement from the two-time world champion has surprised many, as he is currently at the top of the sport and could remain as such until regulations change in 2026.
Pundits and drivers alike are struggling to understand why Verstappen wouldn’t want to challenge for a record-breaking eight world titles, smashing the record of seven held by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.