The four-time category champion finished outside the top 5 in three consecutive races for the first time since 2017
After a sixth place, a retirement and now eighth place in Japan, the four-time champion Max Verstappen is seriously considering leaving Formula 1 after the 2026 season. According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, from Amsterdam, the 28 year old pilot is, for the first time in his career, openly questioning his future in the category.
Verstappen arrived in Formula 1 at the age of 17 and finished outside the top 5 in three races consecutively for first time since 2017when he abandoned the races in Canada, Azerbaijan and Austria. He already predicted that Red Bull would not be the leading team at the start of the season, but the biggest problem is that the team does not know how to identify exactly the origin of its difficulties. With several new parts on his RB22 in Japan, Verstappen stated that the car was very unpredictable and inconsistent.
A The next stage of Formula 1 will only take place at the beginning of Mayin the USA, and Red Bull will have time to investigate the car’s biggest problems. And Verstappen must reflect in the coming weeks on his own career.
The pilot’s biggest frustration is not the fact that the Red Bull is technically behind its opponentsbut rather in the Formula 1 regulations. The idea of retiring after this year, despite having a contract until 2028, is considered by the Dutchman. “How do I motivate myself right now? That’s a valid question. Every morning when I wake up, I convince myself to try again.”
Verstappen is not the only critic of the current ruleswhich predicts that half of the engines’ power comes from electrical components. In the opinion of some drivers, overtaking often seems artificial. More frequently, a car overtakes the rival ahead only to be overtaken again a few seconds later.
“Especially here on this circuit, with two straights close together, it was almost impossible to overtake. If you managed to do so, the battery would discharge again and you would be out of contention”, said Verstappen, who was unable to overtake Pierre Gasly, his former teammate and now at Alpine. “In qualifying, you can’t go all out. To do a fast lap, you need to go slower in the corners. It shouldn’t be like that.”
“Perhaps we should use the term safety more often. When it comes to safety, the rules can be adjusted quickly,” said Verstappen, referring to the serious accident of Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who suddenly found himself faced with a huge speed difference with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto ahead of him at the Suzuka Circuit.
Verstappen expects big changes for 2027 to assess whether it is worth continuing in Formula 1. If that happens, Red Bull will try to convince the Dutchman that the team is still the right place for him.
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