Max Verstappen considering F1 retirement

Max Verstappen is considering his Formula One future following a difficult start to the 2026 Formula One season, questioning whether F1 is “really worth it.”

Verstappen’s reasoning is not down to Red Bull’s struggles, with the four-time World Champion having failed to finish on the podium in F1’s new engine era.

The 28-year-old Dutchman has been a vocal critic of the engine regulations which have often led to drivers driving slower in the corners to save the battery for more electrical power, and drivers have often lost over 30mph at the end of straights as the battery runs out and the engine charges the battery.

Verstappen said speaking to British media: “I’m not enjoying Formula 1 as a whole. That’s what I’m saying. I’m thinking about everything within this paddock.

“Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do. “And of course you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great. But at the end of the day it’s not about money any more because this has always been my passion.”

Verstappen won four world championships in a row with Red Bull in a turbo-hybrid era with less aggressive battery saving, but point to a lack of joy from the new way of racing.

“Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It’s like a second family. But once I sit in the car it’s not the most enjoyable unfortunately. “I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”

“I see it like this: You hear it from a lot of sports people when you speak to them about how are you successful. It all starts with actually enjoying what you’re doing before you can actually commit to it 100%. “Now I think I’m committing 100% and I’m still trying, but the way that I am telling myself to give it 100% I think is not very healthy at the moment because I am not enjoying what I’m doing.”

Verstappen has long had an interest in GT3 racing and competed in a 4 hour race at the Nurburgring Nordschleiffe last weekend in the NLS2 championship alongside Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon to try to qualify for the Nurburgring 24 Hour race in May, and while they were disqualified from the win last weekend Verstappen will try to race at the Nordschleiffe again in the break between the Japanese Grand Prix and Miami Grand Prix in May.

He hinted at racing in GT3s full time should he decide to leave Formula One.

“I have a lot of other projects anyway that I have a lot of passion about. The GT3 racing. Not only racing it myself but also the team. It’s really nice and fun to build that. And I really want to build that out further in the coming years.”

“It’s not like if I would stop here that I’m not going to do anything. I’m always going to have fun. And also I will have fun in a lot of other things in my life.”

SUZUKA, JAPAN – MARCH 29: Eighth placed Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing is interviewed during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 29, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202603290598 // Usage for editorial use only //

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