Formula 1 Rumor: Verstappen will quit Formula 1 after 2026 (Update)
(GMM) Max Verstappen has openly admitted he could consider walking away from Formula 1, as his frustration with the 2026 rules and Red Bull’s struggles continues to build.
The Dutchman cut an increasingly resigned figure at Suzuka, even revealing how he was laughing during the race as he was overtaken by Pierre Gasly.
“Yes, I waved to him because I was suddenly 50 kph slower again,” the quadruple world champion said.
“You can’t overtake normally. It’s possible, but after that, on the straight, your battery dies. I try to just laugh about it, because being upset all the time doesn’t make sense either.
“But I was already counting the laps to the finish. Still 15 to go, 10 more, 5 more! Come on! Ah, finally it’s done.”
Behind the humor, however, lies a more serious message about his future.
“In the coming weeks or months,” Verstappen answered when asked if he is contemplating his future.
“Life goes on. There is not just Formula 1 in life. There are several things you can do.”
He insisted the core issue is not performance, but enjoyment.
“You just think about ‘is it worth it?’ Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”
“Now I think I’m committing 100 percent, and I’m still trying, but the way that I am telling myself to give it 100 percent, I think is not very healthy at the moment because I am not enjoying what I’m doing.”
Former driver Christijan Albers believes Verstappen’s comments should be taken seriously.
“This is a serious interview,” he said. “This just needs to be changed. He just has to stay in Formula 1.”
Albers hinted that Verstappen is scheduled to soon hold another round of talks with F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, as pressure builds on the sport’s leadership.
“I know there is a dinner on the program between him and Stefano Domenicali,” he said.
However, Verstappen’s boss Laurent Mekies insists the situation is more straightforward internally at Red Bull.
“I’m sure if we give him a quick car, that Max will be much, much happier,” he said.
“If we give him a car with which he can push and make a difference, then Max will also be much happier. That’s actually one hundred percent the content of our conversations.”
March 28, 2026
Disgusted with the current Formula 1 engine formula and the way the 2026 regulations have shifted the emphasis away from raw driver talent toward energy management and software trickery, Max Verstappen has given his clearest indication yet that he is seriously considering walking away from the sport at the end of 2026.
–Mark Cipolloni–
In a candid media session following his shock P11 qualifying result at Suzuka – his worst grid position in more than two years – the four-time world champion did not hold back when asked about his long-term future in F1.
THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF FOR ME PERSONALLY TO FIGURE OUT. LIFE HERE [IN F1 DO I STAY OR LEAVE]. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY DECIDE FOR NEXT YEAR [WITH REGARD TO THE ENGINE RULES].
Max Verstappen on his future in F1
The quote, delivered with the familiar Verstappen mix of blunt honesty and frustration, marks the first time he has explicitly linked his continued presence in Formula 1 to potential further changes in the power-unit regulations beyond the already controversial 2026 package.
A Season of Growing Frustration
Verstappen’s comments come on the back of a deeply disappointing Japanese Grand Prix qualifying where the Red Bull RB22 simply lacked the balance and grip needed through Suzuka’s high-speed sections. While Mercedes dominated with a front-row lockout and McLaren-Ferrari filled the rest of the top six, the reigning champion was left visibly angry on team radio and in the garage.
This isn’t a one-off. Since the new 2026 cars hit the track earlier this year, Verstappen has repeatedly criticised the regulations for turning races into “power-management exercises” rather than pure driving battles. He has called the heavy reliance on battery deployment and energy-harvest strategies “anti-racing,” “not very Formula 1-like,” and even compared parts of it to “Formula E on steroids.”
For a driver who has built his reputation on instinctive, flat-out speed through corners like 130R and the Esses, the new rules feel like a betrayal of what drew him to the sport in the first place.
Where Talent Still Counts
Insiders close to Verstappen say he is increasingly drawn to series where the driver, not the software or battery strategy, remains the decisive factor. Speculation has long swirled around potential moves to:
– IndyCar (where overtaking and raw wheel-to-wheel racing are king)
– World Endurance Championship (Le Mans with a top manufacturer)
– Even a surprise return to his roots in single-seater or GT racing
One source told AutoRacing1.com: “Max has always said he’ll only stay in F1 as long as he’s enjoying it and feels the rules still reward the best driver. Right now, he doesn’t feel that’s the case. If the FIA and FOM don’t make meaningful changes for 2027, 2026 could very well be his last season.”
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was quick to downplay immediate exit talk after qualifying, insisting Verstappen remains fully committed “for now” under his contract that runs until the end of 2028. However, the team is understood to have quietly begun contingency planning should the Dutchman decide to pull the plug early.
The Bigger Picture for F1
Verstappen’s comments land at a critical moment for the sport. The 2026 regulations were sold as a bold reset to make F1 more sustainable and closer-fought, but early signs suggest they have instead created a car that many drivers – not just Verstappen – find tricky and less rewarding to drive at the limit.
With the Japanese Grand Prix race tomorrow (lights out 14:00 local), all eyes will be on whether Verstappen can fight back from 11th and whether his frustrations boil over publicly again.
For the millions of fans who have watched him dominate for the best part of a decade, the question is now unavoidable: is this the beginning of the end of the Max Verstappen era in Formula 1?