Great debate: Will Verstappen quit F1 and should F1 care?

F1 should listen –Oleg Karpov

It’s very difficult to judge how seriously Max Verstappen is considering leaving Formula 1. He’s clearly not happy – not only with the direction the championship has taken, but perhaps also with the competitiveness of the Red Bull package.

It’s been a while since he started a season knowing he’s unlikely to win – and this year, it’s not just about the title, but even individual races. Looking elsewhere may well be on his mind. But how much of what he says reflects genuine intent to step away from F1 is something only he knows.

Ignoring that possibility, however, wouldn’t be wise for F1. After all, its defining promise is “the best drivers in the best cars” – and Verstappen is arguably the best driver currently on the grid, at the very least among a small group at the top. Losing him wouldn’t be a good look – just as it would have been a blow for F1 had Ayrton Senna followed through on his flirtation with Indycars back in 1993. 

Verstappen is already racing outside F1, and his desire not only to compete in GT machinery but also to step into team management suggests a genuine interest in what he calls “real racing”. That’s something F1 shouldn’t ignore. It may need to consider adjustments – not to appease Verstappen specifically, but to address concerns that an increasing number of drivers are voicing. At the same time, F1 cannot afford to be held hostage. It ultimately lost Senna anyway, in the most tragic of circumstances, yet the sport moved on and new stars emerged.

He would not leave Red Bull mid-season – Ronald Vording

Verstappen’s criticism of the 2026 regulations is nothing new. Back in 2023, I asked him about his first impressions. What he said then is exactly what he is saying now: pure driver skill is no longer rewarded. Onboard footage from Turn 9 in Melbourne and 130R at Suzuka is painful to watch, with super clipping taking away part of the challenge.

In that regard, the FIA and F1 would do well to listen to the criticism. Not even to retain Verstappen, but for the overall direction of the sport.

As for Max himself, I don’t think he would walk away and leave Red Bull mid-season. He has often said he is “loyal” to the brand that gave him his F1 debut, and he will not forget that. At the moment, he is not enjoying F1, which makes it feel like an obligation. He finds joy elsewhere, but for now, a modus vivendi has been found: Verstappen is given the freedom to enjoy himself outside F1 while not abandoning the team.

He is hoping for “bigger changes” ahead of next season. His longer-term future probably depends on that. If the enjoyment returns and he can combine his endurance ambitions with F1, then there is no reason to leave. If the situation stays the same, then a longer stay beyond his current contract looks unlikely.

Forays into GT3 competition have been an enjoyable diversion – but is the grass really greener?

Photo by: ADAC Motorsport

The pure competition Max thirsts for doesn’t actually exist – Stuart Codling

I’m sure he enjoyed his time at the Nurburgring the other weekend – but if he’s so bugged out about F1 being in effect a balance-of-performance formula, well, Max, I’ve got news for you: so is sportscar racing.  

Stay in GT3 for more than a couple of races and see how you feel about the semi-constant rug-pulls when some competitor or other goes into boo-hoo mode about somebody else having a slightly faster car. Getting disqualified on a tyre technicality was just pre-dinner nibbles.

There’s also a compelling argument to say that the dream of F1 as a series in which drivers can push flat-out all of the time is an illusion. It may have briefly existed in the early 2000s but, if I recall correctly, one team and driver started winning all the time and the rules were adjusted to stop this happening. Before and since, F1 drivers have always had to manage something, whether it be engines, gearboxes, tyres or fuel.

The most constructive course of action for Verstappen is to stick around and use his voice as a positive force for change – because he’s the only F1 driver left resisting the pressure from above to stop complaining and get on with it. If he chooses to flounce out, the public relations pain for the commercial rights holder will be temporary. The realisation that the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence will be permanent.

His discontent is just the tip of the iceberg –Filip Cleeren

It’s not the first time the topic of Verstappen’s F1 future has come up but, when this question was first asked, I batted it away. Athletes often get frustrated, so comments made in the heat of the moment shouldn’t be taken at face value.

But things feel different now. I’ve never seen him as despondent as he was during the Japanese GP weekend. Sure, he has been fed up with F1 as a business before, but he’s always enjoyed the driving aspect. Once the helmet goes on, all the nonsense fades into the background. Now the pleasure of driving itself seems gone.

Should F1 care? The biggest star of his generation walking out would certainly be a PR own goal for F1. A pretty damning verdict on the regulations it is wedded to for the foreseeable future. But that’s not the main reason why we should care. F1 is bigger than one driver, but the series should absolutely care about the underlying causes that have led up to this point.

Verstappen is just the most vocal critic amid much wider discontent in F1’s driver corps. And when concerns aren’t just about their personal enjoyment, but also about the safety issues inherent to the 2026 hybrid regulations, action needs to be taken. Not just for Verstappen, but for everyone involved.

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the May 2026 issue and subscribe today. 

A wave for fans at Suzuka – where Cleeren has never seen Verstappen appear so despondent

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images