Max Verstappen has made it clear that he is not rushing any decision about his long‑term future in Formula 1. The Dutch champion, who has hinted at the possibility of stepping away from the sport, told reporters that he is simply "taking his time" while he evaluates the situation. The speculation began after the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March, when Verstappen suggested that he might consider leaving Formula 1 because he was dissatisfied with the new technical regulations and the slow start Red Bull has experienced heading into the 2026 season. Since then, the champion has been asked repeatedly about his intentions, but he has repeatedly emphasized that there is "nothing new" to add and that his focus is on other projects, including a preparation run at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany ahead of a 24‑hour endurance race scheduled for May.
"I still have time and I'm taking my time," Verstappen said before the Miami Grand Prix weekend, underscoring that his decision is not imminent. When Sky Italy pressed him on whether a sudden surge in Red Bull performance would sway his choice, the driver replied that the team is currently a little further behind the benchmark set last year, and that his own thoughts remain unchanged from what he expressed in Japan.
"I just want to be here," he added, noting that the team is working hard on car upgrades and that he needs to see the results before forming any conclusions. At the moment Verstappen sits ninth in the Drivers' Championship and has not finished inside the top five in any of the opening three races.
He has repeatedly pointed out that his frustration stems more from the regulatory framework than from the competitiveness of the Red Bull package. The FIA has recently tweaked the power‑unit rules for the remainder of the season in an attempt to promote more "flat‑out" driving. The changes involve tighter limits on energy harvesting and deployment, a reduction in the amount of time a car can lift off the throttle to recharge its battery, and adjustments to the boost modes after Oliver Bearman's dramatic crash in Japan, where he had to take extreme measures to avoid a collision with Franco Colapinto. Verstappen, however, described the tweaks as merely a "tickle" and not the sweeping overhaul needed to restore the pure, high‑speed spectacle that fans and drivers crave.
"I just hope for next year we can make really big changes," he said, adding that recent constructive meetings with the sport's governing bodies could be a starting point for longer‑term improvements. He also highlighted the importance of driver input in shaping the future of the championship. "Even in a few years' time, when maybe I'm not here anymore, I really hope that future drivers will have more say with the organisers," Verstappen explained.
He believes that drivers have a solid feel for what makes Formula 1 an entertaining product, and that better communication between the grid and the FIA is a positive step, even if the recent rule changes feel like a small gesture in a sport that is inherently complex and political. During the five‑week break since the last race, another development added fuel to the speculation surrounding Verstappen's future: his long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase announced that he will leave Red Bull to join McLaren in 2028. Lambiase has been Verstappen's sole permanent engineer since they first teamed up in 2016, and the driver once said that after winning his first world title in 2021 he would quit Formula 1 if he lost that partnership.
Despite the news, Verstappen insisted that Lambiase's departure has "nothing to do" with his own career plans. "We have a very honest and open relationship, so that was all good. I wish him all the best and there are no hard feelings," Verstappen said.
He acknowledged that finding a new engineer with the same chemistry will be challenging. "The general understanding that we have with each other, and the chemistry works really well.
That's very rare in racing. You don't see that often that a driver and engineer gel that well together.
That's something that I'll have to try and find again. It's not that easy but sometimes, of course, that happens," he added, half‑joking that it would be "an idiot" to try and keep Lambiase after the lucrative offer he received from McLaren.
Beyond the personal dynamics, Verstappen emphasized that Red Bull as a team continues to look ahead, constantly seeking innovation and improvement. He remains focused on the immediate tasks at hand, such as the upcoming Miami sprint weekend, which marks the resumption of the 2026 season. The schedule includes practice sessions, sprint qualifying, the sprint race itself, and the main Grand Prix on Sunday, all of which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
In summary, while rumors about Verstappen's possible exit from Formula 1 have persisted, the champion himself stresses that he is not in a hurry to decide. He is giving himself space to assess the impact of regulatory changes, the performance trajectory of Red Bull, and the evolving relationship between drivers and the sport's governing bodies. Until the car shows the pace he expects and the regulatory environment aligns more closely with his vision of pure, high‑speed racing, Verstappen will continue to compete, adapt, and, as he puts it, "take his time."