In a shocking declaration F1, Max Verstappen – the pilot who dominates the races this season – did not hesitate to deride his famous colleagues, including Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

In a recent event, when he was asked of the perspective of Ferrari and other main drivers, Verstappen commented in no uncertain terms that Charles Leclerc is now “out of time” and Ferrari should consider the possibility of retreating from F1 races to avoid unfortunate failures.

“To be honest, I think Charles is no longer at the peak. It was excellent, but now his time is over,” said Verstappen with a confident smile. “Ferrari is a famous team, but if they continue to play with ineffective strategies, perhaps it is time for them to reconsider their role in the tournament. Sometimes, the retreat is wise to continue fighting blindly.”

Verstappen has also not ignored Lewis Hamilton many times, the F1 village champion. “Lewis is an excellent driver, but everything is limited. I believe that with the current situation he will have many difficulties in maintaining the top form as before. This is the reality that people should admit,” Verstappen underlined.

These comments immediately cause contrasting reactions in the F1 community. Some fans support Verstappen’s opinions, saying that the racing teams and cyclists must be aware of their skills and know when to stop protecting their reputation. In the meantime, many others have condemned Verstappen as unspecious, saying that he was too ignoring the legends of the racing village.

F1 analysts, Thomas Müller, said: “Verstappen is always confident and is not afraid to speak frankly of what he thinks. The comments on Leclerc and Ferrari will surely create storms in Paddock and can influence the psychology of the Ferrari runners in the next phases.”

Not only is Verstappen’s sarcasm deriding a strong message on his domain this season. The Dutch pilot seemed to emphasize that only those who have a really peak form deserve to compete in F1.

With the current situation, fans will have to wait to see how Ferrari’s reactions and cyclists are like Leclerc and Hamilton in the next races. Will they respond to Max Verstappen or will they focus on improving performance to demonstrate that they are not really “obsolete”? The answer will gradually reveal when the F1 season continues to go to the most difficult rounds.