According to George Russell, Max Verstappen had no complaints about the previous generation of Formula 1 cars because he was winning at the time. Russell acknowledges that he can understand if the four-time world champion decides to leave the sport, considering his numerous achievements.
Verstappen's future in F1 is uncertain due to his dissatisfaction with the new 2026 regulations and the impact of the 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power on driving. Russell believes that F1 is bigger than any driver and that while it would be unfortunate to lose Verstappen, the sport would continue to thrive.
He also notes that Verstappen's current complaints differ from those of other top teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, as they are at the front of the grid. Russell thinks that with four championships under his belt, Verstappen may feel that he has achieved everything he wanted to in F1 and could be looking for new challenges, such as GT3 endurance racing.