World champion Max Verstappen on Sunday described his punishment for swearing as "silly" and threatened the row could hasten his exit from Formula One.
The Dutchman finished second to Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix but the saga over him being slapped with a community service order continued to dominate fallout in the paddock. "These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can't be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," the 26-year-old said.
The Red Bull driver was sanctioned by the FIA after using the F-word in Thursday's drivers' press conference which was being broadcast live.
He subsequently staged a one-man protest by giving only short answers or offering "no comment" to reporters in the official FIA post-qualifying press conference on Saturday.