Max Verstappen has made it clear that he is not in a hurry to decide what comes next for him in Formula 1. The Dutch champion, who has been linked with a possible departure from the sport, told reporters that he is simply taking his time to evaluate his options. This statement comes after the Red Bull driver hinted at a possible exit following a disappointing start to the 2026 season and the introduction of new technical regulations that have left him and his team scrambling.
In the aftermath of the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March, Verstappen sparked speculation by saying he was contemplating leaving F1 because he was unhappy with the direction the sport was taking under the latest rule changes. Those regulations, intended to make racing more aggressive and reduce the reliance on energy‑recovery systems, have coincided with a slower‑than‑expected start for Red Bull in the new season.
However, the driver now says there is "nothing new" to report on the matter, noting that his focus has been elsewhere, including a demanding test session at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany as preparation for a 24‑hour endurance race scheduled for May. "I still have time and I'm taking my time," Verstappen told the media ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend. When Sky Italy asked whether an improvement in Red Bull's performance would sway his decision, he replied, "We are a little bit further behind at the moment than what we had last year.
The rest, I mean, also for myself, I don't know at the moment. What I said in Japan is still the same, but I also still have a lot of time." He added that his primary goal is simply to stay on the grid and continue competing: "I just want to be here. The team has worked really hard to bring updates to the car, so we first have to wait and see what they will do, because I have no idea, of course, what other teams came with as well.
I just hope that we can escape a little bit that midfield battle, and we can be actually a bit further up front." At the time of the interview Verstappen was sitting ninth in the Drivers' Championship and had failed to finish in the top five in any of the first three races of the season. He has repeatedly emphasized that his frustration stems more from the regulatory environment than from any perceived lack of speed from Red Bull. The FIA has recently tweaked power‑unit rules for the remainder of the season in an effort to encourage "flat‑out" driving.
Adjustments include tighter limits on energy harvesting and deployment, which should reduce the amount of "super‑clipping"—the practice of braking on a straight to recharge the battery—and curb lifting and coasting, thereby decreasing closing speeds. Additional changes to the boost modes were introduced after Oliver Bearman's dramatic crash in Japan, where he had to take extreme measures to avoid a collision with Franco Colapinto.
Despite these modifications, Verstappen described the changes as merely a "tickle" and far from the sweeping overhaul he believes is needed to restore genuine, all‑out racing. "I just hope for next year we can make really big changes," he said. He also highlighted constructive dialogue that has taken place between the sport's governing bodies and the teams: "The positive thing about it is we had some nice meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA.
That's probably like a starting point hopefully for the future." Looking further ahead, Verstappen expressed a desire for drivers to have a stronger voice in shaping the sport. "Even in a few years' time, when maybe I'm not here anymore, I really hope that for the future drivers as well, there's more input to come from the drivers to the organisers in general because I do think that most of the drivers here, we have a good understanding and a good feel of what is needed to make Formula 1 a good product, a fun product." He acknowledged that F1 is a complex and political arena, and that while the recent rule tweaks are a step forward, they are insufficient: "I think that's already a huge step forward in terms of the communication. Of course with the changes that are made, I think it's more like a tickle because at the end of the day, F1 is a very complex and political sport.
But I think everyone has tried their best to at least do something, but of course it won't change the world." During the five‑week break since the Japanese race, Verstappen's long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase announced that he will leave Red Bull and join McLaren by 2028. Lambiase has been Verstappen's sole permanent engineer since they first partnered in 2016, and the driver once said that after winning his first world title in 2021 he would consider retiring if Lambiase were not by his side. Despite the news, Verstappen insisted that Lambiase's departure has "nothing to do" with his own future plans.
"We have a very honest and open relationship, so that was all good. I wish him all the best and for me there was no hard feelings on that," he explained. "As a team of course we look to the future, we always want to innovate and improve and that's what we are doing right now." Verstappen even joked that trying to keep Lambiase would be "idiotic" given the lucrative offer the 45‑year‑old engineer received from McLaren. He admitted that finding a new engineer with the same chemistry will be a challenge: "The general understanding that we have with each other, and the chemistry works really well.
And that's very rare in racing. You don't see that often that a driver and engineer, they 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." The upcoming Miami weekend will feature a sprint format as the 2026 season resumes, with practice sessions, qualifying, and the main Grand Prix spread over three days.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1 and stream the coverage via NOW. Whether Verstappen decides to stay with Red Bull, move to another team, or even step away from Formula 1 altogether, his measured approach suggests that any decision will be made after careful consideration of the sport's evolving technical landscape, his personal ambitions, and the relationships that have defined his career thus far.