Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has revealed he is weighing up walking away from Formula 1 at the end of the 2026 season, citing growing dissatisfaction with this year’s sweeping rule changes.
The sport introduced its most significant package of technical changes in decades: new power units and chassis and a heavier emphasis on electrical energy that demand different driving techniques. Verstappen had voiced concerns about the regulations before they were implemented, and those doubts appear to have been heightened by Red Bull’s difficult start to the season.
After an eighth-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen gave his strongest public indication yet that he is questioning his future. Speaking to BBC Sport he said he is “thinking about everything inside this paddock,” noting that racing long calendars takes a toll and that, when the enjoyment is gone, he must weigh up whether spending more time with family would be preferable.
Verstappen, who captured four successive world titles from 2021 to 2024 before finishing runner-up to McLaren’s Lando Norris last year, rejected the suggestion that his frustrations are solely down to Red Bull’s current competitiveness. He said he can accept finishing around seventh or eighth, as he has in other seasons, but that racing mid-pack while not enjoying the way the car drives “doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver.”
He described the new style of driving demanded by the regulations as “anti-driving,” and stressed that his motivation is not financial. “At the end of the day it’s not about money anymore because this has always been my passion,” he said, adding that if the sport no longer delivers that passion, stepping away is a real possibility.
Seeking enjoyment outside F1, Verstappen recently took part in a GT3 race at the Nürburgring. He warned that his current state of mind is “not healthy,” arguing that enjoyment is a prerequisite for the total commitment required to perform at the highest level. He acknowledged critics who will say a world champion is merely complaining because the car is poor, but insisted he views the situation differently.
Formula 1 resumes with the Miami Grand Prix, including the season’s second Sprint weekend, on May 1-3, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.