Verstappen's F1 Struggle: 'I'm Not Enjoying It'

0:00It's April 2nd. This is F1 News today, your AI-powered team coverage. Max Verstappen is fed up with his Red Bull car after another rough qualifying at Suzuka, getting knocked out in Q2. The four-time world champion says the session was still messed up even after FIA tweaks and he's been calling it out all season in places like Bahrain and Shanghai. Now Red Bull wants him to take complaints behind closed doors for fixes. He's getting philosophical about his Formula One life, admitting he is not enjoying the RB-22 at all. Verstappen says top performance starts with fun, echoing his dad Joe's and without it, motivation fades no matter what else he does. He even joked about tossing a reporter into his seat to feel the struggle of just keeping it on track. Drivers late for Stappen and Isaac Hadjar are scratching their heads over the car's root problems with track results not matching factory data. Team Boss Laurent Meckys ties it to overall performance dips, but this feels different

1:00from past slumps, no full grasp on issues, and enjoyment is gone, unlike before. His body language screams resignation, not fiery anger like in past years. He is beyond disappointed, calling it something like that, and jokes he is like a modern F1 engine that clips after a strong start, needs Red Bull. Energy just to push through. A mid-season exit is off the table with his loyalty to the team that launched him, plus big sponsorship stakes. But if the joy does not come back with better results, his long-term stay is no sure thing.