Mar.30 (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 kmh 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 humour, 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.”