F1 Needs to Stop Being Soft – Let the Drivers Race

Formula 1 has always been a battleground a test of nerve, talent, and raw aggression. But in 2025, it feels like that edge is being filed down. The sport has gone a bit soft, and nowhere was that more obvious than the backlash against Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix. A misjudgment led to wheel-to-wheel contact and suddenly the pitchforks are out.

This isn’t just a Max issue. It’s a symptom of a broader shift in the sport. Since Liberty Media took over, Formula 1 has exploded in popularity and that’s both a blessing and a curse. Yes, more fans mean more money, more visibility, and more mainstream appeal. But the grit that made F1 special? That’s slipping away.

Contact Isn’t a Crime – It’s Racing

Every motorsport has its moments of contact. NASCAR thrives on it. IndyCar doesn’t flinch at it. WEC drivers expect it. But in F1, it’s become a scandal. Every small incident is blown out of proportion. One driver becomes the villain, the fanbases can melt down, and everyone suddenly wants the FIA to intervene even though they spend a lot of time complaining about overregulation.

My belief is that unless the move was egregious, let the drivers handle it. They’re grown adults. They’re warriors in some of the fastest machines ever built. Why treat them like children?

The Culture Shift Is Killing the Edge

The sport’s culture has changed. It’s cleaner. Safer. More polished. But also more fragile. There’s an expectation now that every driver act like a model spokesperson like a pop star instead of a competitor. The second someone steps out of line or rubs wheels, the social media mob is on them.

That mindset trickles down into the racing itself. Why take a daring lunge if it might ruin your reputation? Why fight hard for a corner if it means facing a post-race penalty or being attacked online?

That’s not how motorsport is supposed to work. Legends like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, and Juan Pablo Montoya made their names by refusing to back down. If you told them “it was his corner,” they’d look at you sideways.

Let the Drivers Police Themselves

F1’s over-reliance on stewards is part of the problem. Every incident doesn’t need an investigation and a five-second penalty. Racing gets messy sometimes. Let it be messy. Unless someone gets launched into a wall at 170 mph, maybe it’s okay for contact to just be... part of the race.

What if we shifted the culture? Market the drivers less like boyband celebrities and more like gladiators. Bring back that gritty, relentless image that says, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win.” Fans might not just accept the hip checks and wheel-banging they might actually enjoy it.

Let veteran drivers help manage things behind the scenes. Let young stars get a talking-to in the paddock, not in the steward’s office. Let on-track rivalries be settled on-track, not in a conference room.

What’s the Fix?

F1 needs to stop over-parenting its product. The sport should be fierce, imperfect, and chaotic at times. That’s what makes it human. That’s what makes it unforgettable.

So stop babying the drivers. Stop jumping on every bit of contact. Let the best race hard and if they get their hands dirty doing it, so be it. The fans who fell in love with F1 in the 2000s and before? They didn’t show up for perfection. They showed up for the passion.

Let the racers cook.