Max Verstappen Branded "Hypocrite" After Earning $6 Million From Sponsorships

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has faced criticism for expressing his dislike of the glitz and glam of Formula 1 despite earning millions from sponsorships, although maintaining a healthy relationship with sponsors is essential for winning races.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is known for his almost-perfect driving skills and dominance on-track. However, recently he has come under the spotlight for his comments about the showmanship and glamor surrounding F1. Verstappen's words may seem surprising, considering he earned at least $6 million from sponsorship deals in 2022. Because of this, fans of the sport are branding him as a hypocrite. 

Formula 1: More than Just Driving

While driving is the core element of F1, it's not the only aspect that makes the sport exciting. F1 has always been the pinnacle of motorsport technology, but there's something about the glitz and celebrity lifestyle that fans love, too.

This has obviously led to marketing, which basically funds each team as they brand their cars with company logos and their drivers wear their watches. Let's not get ahead of ourselves - it's very normal for such things to happen and it has been happening for a long time. Just look at James Hunt and his Marlboro cigarettes. But fans got a little annoyed when they saw Verstappen complaining about something that made him millions of dollars last year. 

“I love the driving bit,that’s what i do best.”

“I don’t like everything else around it. i just keep saying to myself…. a few more years"

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— Ana 🦁 (@maxvcalloway) April 2, 2023

Verstappen made his stance clear in an interview, that was later posted to Twitter. 

“I love the driving bit, that’s what I do best," he said, before continuing: “I don’t like everything else around it. I just keep saying to myself: a few more years."

Verstappen's statements have drawn criticism from some quarters, with some media outlets labeling him a hypocrite for complaining about the glamor and showmanship while earning millions from sponsorships. 

But really, it's something that - as a driver - you have to do. You have to keep yourself in the circle, keep yourself rife with sponsorships, and maintain a healthy relationship with those who are in the business of making money. That's how you win races. Although, Adrian Newey helps, too.