Why F1 Driver Max Verstappen Is Considering Retirement at End of 2026

As shocking as it sounds, Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen could be handing in his keys for good sooner rather than later.

The driver, who just last week made waves after kicking a journalist out of his press conference, recently suggested he is considering stepping away from the sport amid regulation/engine changes that have impacted his enjoyment of and interest in the whole shebang.

In 2026, F1 debuted new hybrid engines that split 50-50 between internal combustion and electrification.

"Privately I'm very happy," Verstappen told BBC Sport on Sunday, after finishing eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix. "You also wait for 24 races. This time it's 22. But normally 24. And then 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% 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's contract with Red Bull notably runs until 2028, although there is reportedly a clause in his deal "that would allow him to walk away at the end of the year if he is not in the top two of the world championship at a certain point in the summer," per The Athletic. So far, it doesn't seem like that placement is in the cards. On the season, he has yet to finish a race higher than sixth, and sits at ninth in the standings (60 points behind leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli).

"I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am," said Verstappen, who won four consecutive world championships from 2021 to 2024. "Because I also know that you can't be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I'm very realistic in that and I've been there before. I've not only been winning in F1.

"But at the same time, when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to a racing driver."

He'll at least have some time to think about his next move in the coming weeks here. The Dutchman's next race won't be until May 3, after two April events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled due to the conflict in Iran.

"I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that's not really the case," the 28-year-old sensation continued. "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."

If he did quit F1, it wouldn't be the end of his story entirely.

"It's not like if I would stop here that I'm not going to do anything," he made clear. "I'm always going to have fun. And also I will have fun in a lot of other things in my life."

But if the bigwigs behind F1 changed the rules in a way he found favorable, he seemed to imply things could be different, per BBC Sport.

"They know what to do," Verstappen said.

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