Max Verstappen believes it would be "completely wrong" to introduce a salary cap for Formula 1 drivers who "risk their lives" to compete.
A budget cap was introduced for the teams from this season, which is already causing some issues with the general consensus being that the £119m they are allowed to spend this year is not enough. Driver salaries are currently separate from the cap, but that might not remain the case in the future.
If F1 bosses were to press ahead with plans to introduce a salary cap, drivers would find their earning potential limited. Verstappen earns more than anyone else in the paddock, except for Lewis Hamilton, and made a point of coming out against the idea of his wages being limited in the future.
"It's still all a bit vague. I think no one really knows where it is going to go but from my side, it's completely wrong," he said ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "I think at the moment, F1 is becoming more and more popular and everyone is making more and more money, including the teams.
"Everyone is benefitting, so why should the drivers, with their IP rights and everything, be capped? We actually bring the show and put our lives at risk, because we do, eventually. So for me, it’s completely wrong.
"Also, in all of the junior categories, if you see how many of the drivers have a sponsor or a backer who will have a certain percentage of their income in F1 or whatever. I think it's going to limit that a lot because they'll never get their return in money and if you get a cap, so it will hurt all the junior categories as well and I don't think you want that."
Answering the same question, Lando Norris said he agreed with Verstappen's points – especially about younger racers trying to make it to F1. "I think what he's said is correct, especially the investment part into young drivers," added the McLaren ace.
"It's difficult enough to get into F1 at all, so as soon as you have a backer or investment as a driver, they obviously want their money back at some point. Obviously if it gets capped, it's much harder or will interest people much less to ever invest into young drivers and invest into people having chances to get into F1 in the first place."
