Max Verstappen makes things clear in Shanghai: "I don't want to leave"

Satisfied with his race, disappointed by the regulations, that's how one could summarize the situation experienced by Max Verstappen coming out of the Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of this famous 2026 season F1Not forgetting to congratulate Isack Hadjar on his excellent qualifying performance – leading him to third position on the starting grid in Melbourne – the Dutch driver wanted to give an update on his expectations.

“There is certainly strong potential. Everything will depend, of course, on our ability to exploit it throughout the season.” he rationalized in front of the pressThe gap was significant, even during the race. If I'd had a better start, I think I could have gained one place at best, because we didn't have the pace of the top four cars. We also saw significant tire degradation and graining. But we'll see. We'll see what happens in the next races, if we can close that gap a bit.

Quick to make some initial observations on the subject, Max Verstappen is clearly not short of suggestions elsewhere."There are some simple solutions, but they must be approved by the FIA ​​regarding batteries, because starting with a 0% battery is neither pleasant nor safe." he warns"So we're in discussions with them to find a solution, because as you saw, we almost had a massive pile-up at the start in Melbourne. This problem is partly related to the batteries. It could also be caused by the anti-stall system. But we were able to observe significant differences in speed, because my car wasn't the only one with a battery that was almost flat, or only 20 or 30% charged. I think this problem can be easily resolved."

Why choose between Verstappen's future options?

Despite his desire to move things forward in F1, Max Verstappen is far from closed to the idea of ​​participating in the renewal of his favorite sport, admitting that he prefers the simplicity of GT to the atmosphere of the premier category. “The enjoyment would be just as intense here, given the top speed. But above all, it’s a way of working with people. The atmosphere is a bit different in the paddock, I’d say. A bit more traditional, less political, which suits me better. I can be more myself. That’s what I like, and then of course, I want to participate in these races, all these great endurance races. My father was already doing them when I was little. And then, I think I don’t need to be just a Formula 1 driver. I can do other things, especially since I’ve already been doing this for a while and I’ve achieved all my goals. That’s why I want to explore other horizons. And I don’t want to wait until I’m 40 to start, so I think this is the ideal age.”

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Fully admitting that he disliked this new technical regulation, the driver Red Bull does not want to leave his team on such a good path. “I don’t really want to leave. Like I said, I’d like to have a bit more fun, that’s for sure, but I also do other really fun things. I mean, I race on the Nordschleife. I hope to be able to do Spa in the coming years, and why not…” Le MansSo, I combine different activities to find other things I really enjoy. Of course, my team is still going, so I have a lot of distractions at the same time. Positive distractions, I'd say. But at the same time, it's a bit contradictory because I don't really enjoy driving the car, but I really enjoy working with all the members of the team and the engine department. Yes, it's almost like a dilemma… I can't swear to it.

No absolutes then for the four-time world champion, whose next actions and gestures would be better appreciated than commented on while awaiting his future decision.