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Max Verstappen has raised the prospect of walking away from Formula One after the Japanese Grand Prix, saying he has “a lot of stuff to personally figure out” as frustration with the sport’s sweeping 2026 regulation overhaul deepens.
The four-time world champion finished 11th in qualifying at Suzuka after being knocked out in Q2, a circuit where he had taken pole position and victory in each of the previous 4 years. He then finished 8th in the race, unable to pass Alpine’s Pierre Gasly despite the pair being “very closely matched” on pace.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the race, Verstappen made clear his discontent goes beyond Red Bull’s poor form.
The Dutch driver pointed instead to the fundamental nature of the new power unit regulations, which require constant energy management throughout each lap and frequently leave drivers with depleted batteries at critical moments.
“It’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving,” Verstappen said.
When asked directly about a potential departure from the sport at the end of the season, the Red Bull driver did not dismiss the idea. “That’s what I’m saying. I’m thinking about everything inside this paddock,” he said.
Verstappen, who holds a contract with Red Bull through 2028, added that he has “a lot of other projects” competing for his attention, including GT3 racing and team management.
After qualifying, Verstappen had been equally blunt. “I’m not even frustrated anymore. I’m beyond that,” he said. “I don’t get upset about it. I don’t get disappointed or frustrated by it anymore with what’s going on.”
Red Bull, which is producing its own power unit for the first time in 2026, has struggled to find consistency with the new RB22.
Verstappen acknowledged the team is currently “a bit more in that midfield battle than up at the front,” a sharp contrast to the dominance that delivered 4 consecutive constructors’ championships.
The Dutchman narrowly missed out on a fifth driver’s title last season, losing to Lando Norris by just 2 points.
The weekend’s regulation debate sharpened dramatically when Haas driver Ollie Bearman was involved in a high-speed crash during the race.
Bearman was attempting an overtake on Alpine’s Franco Colapinto heading into Spoon corner when Colapinto moved off the racing line.
Forced to take avoiding action, Bearman ran onto the grass, ploughed through the distance boards, was thrown back across the circuit, and hit the barrier sideways in a 50G impact.
Bearman was seen limping from his car before the Safety Car was deployed.
Haas confirmed Bearman underwent an X-ray at the Medical Centre and sustained a right knee contusion but had no fractures.
The crash drew an immediate response from Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who said the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) had repeatedly warned the FIA that closing speed differentials created by the new battery deployment system made such incidents inevitable.
“We’ve been warning them about this happening,” Sainz told Sky Sports F1. “These kind of closing speeds and these kind of accidents were always going to happen.”
Sainz said he was particularly troubled that Formula One Management and the FIA had previously adjusted qualifying rules in Japan to address battery harvesting issues through high-speed corners but left race conditions unchanged because “the racing is exciting.”
He warned that a similar crash at a street circuit such as Baku or Las Vegas could have far graver consequences.
The FIA issued an official statement following the race, acknowledging the concerns and confirming that meetings have been scheduled in April to review the 2026 regulations.
“Any potential adjustments, particularly those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis,” the governing body said, adding that “safety will always remain a core element of the FIA’s mission.”
The statement cautioned that “any speculation regarding the nature of potential changes would be premature.”
Verstappen is not alone in his discomfort with the new formula. Reigning world champion Lando Norris said the phenomenon known as “super clipping," in which top speed drops as hybrid engines harvest power mid-corner despite the driver being flat out, “hurts the soul.”
Formula One officials are expected to address energy management concerns during the four-week break before the Miami Grand Prix.
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