F1
Verstappen is ready to leave F1 if the 2026 regulations don't appeal to him
Max Verstappen - Photo: Antonin Vincent / DPPI
La Formula 1 It enters a new era with 2026 regulations that promise to shake things up. But behind the excitement, some experts are worried: the spectacle could suffer. For VerstappenIt's not just about contracts, but about the feeling. A motorsport enthusiast, drawn to GT and...EnduranceHe might decide to change disciplines if the thrill were to disappear.
« My contract runs until 2028, but my future will depend on the new rules in 2026, and whether they are pleasant and fun. he explained in comments collected by Press Association. If they are not, I don't see myself staying. »
Verstappen is already champion with McLaren, Hamilton too old?
Aggressive on and off the track, Verstappen took advantage to tackle McLarenWhen asked if he would already be champion with the car of Lando Norris, he answers : " We wouldn't be talking about a championship. Victory would have been easy already. They won the constructors' championship so early, you can guess that yourself. »
The interview also touched on Lewis Hamilton and its difficulties at Classic Ferrari for sale that holds the top spot. " If you don't feel safe or comfortable within the team dynamic, you can't be yourself, and that has an impact.he replied. Qexit Mercedes BenzLeaving a team that was like a second family, with whom you built a career, is difficult. Everyone benefited, Mercedes and Lewis. Switching to a completely different path isn't easy, especially when facing a driver (Charles Leclerc) which has been there for quite some time. It's very tough. And age isn't on your side. At that age, you're not going to get faster, not necessarily slower, but certainly not faster, while Charles continues to progress, which doesn't help him either. »
With Lewis Hamilton turning 41 in January, it's highly likely that Verstappen will no longer be in F1 as he approaches forty. The champion's future thus seems to hinge on a single question: will the 2026 regulations still offer him the thrill he craves? And if Verstappen were to leave the pinnacle of motorsport, why not imagine him joining Ford, an engine partner of Red Bull, in its Hypercar program for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2027?
ALSO READ > McLaren is giving its drivers free rein, a jackpot for Verstappen?
Valentin GLO
Journalist. Endurance reporter (WEC, IMSA, ELMS, ALMS) and sometimes F1 or IndyCar.
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eric stevens
29/11/2025 at 12:18 a.m.
He's the best, he knows it, he says it, what's the problem? In France, we prefer losers, the Poulidors, we don't like those who succeed, it's in the country's DNA (we see the result, bad but self-satisfied). It's a privilege to see this guy on the track doing things only he can do, to be at 102-105% all the time. He gets in a GT car, he wins, he's a machine. He doesn't like stupid questions from journalists, and he's right. He's not "corporate," all the better, their system is rubbish. He's a driver, not a parrot. Tough on the track? Thankfully, it's already bad enough, and if he leaves, the show won't be as good. His main flaw on this site is that he's not French; we'd let him get away with anything! Not everyone can be as good as Ocon...
vincent moyet
28/11/2025 at 11:30 a.m.
First point: Verstappen doesn't tolerate a teammate who could challenge him. Sure, in a McLaren he would have won at least 15 races, but we'd be incredibly bored for the last six months watching another season that's already decided. If he agreed to share the car with Leclerc or Russell, for example, then we'd talk. Secondly, Max is really the threat. How many times has he been sulking and threatening to leave F1? Many great drivers like Lauda, Prost, or Mansell slammed the door on F1 abruptly without making these kinds of repeated threats beforehand. On the track, very few people will actually miss him.
Alain Féguenne (🇱🇺 Luxembourg)
28/11/2025 at 09:23 a.m.
Typically... Max's temperament? We'll see tomorrow for the race... 👍👍. alainkf1@pt.lu 😎👀‼️
Yves-Henri RANDIER
28/11/2025 at 07:28 a.m.
He's perfectly capable of it, especially if he finally manages to clinch a 5th consecutive title! That would leave Red Bull Racing in a real bind 🤣
Hilton Leon
28/11/2025 at 06:05 a.m.
Goodbye you brat, we won't miss you