Max Verstappen has made it clear that he is adopting a patient stance when it comes to deciding his next steps in Formula 1. The Dutch champion, who has hinted at the possibility of stepping away from the sport, emphasized that he is not rushing any decisions and is allowing himself ample time to evaluate the situation.
The speculation began after the final race of the Japanese Grand Prix in late March, when Verstappen suggested that he was contemplating an exit from F1. His comments were tied to frustration with the new technical regulations that have hampered Red Bull’s performance at the start of the 2026 campaign. Despite a sluggish opening to the season, the driver stressed that there is "nothing new" to report at the moment, as his focus has been elsewhere – notably, he spent time testing on the historic Nürburgring Nordschleife in preparation for a 24‑hour endurance event 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 a potential upswing in Red Bull’s pace would influence his decision, he replied that the team is currently a little further behind than they were 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.
He continued, "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 present, Verstappen sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship and has failed to break into the top five in any of the first three races. While his results have been underwhelming, he has repeatedly pointed to the regulatory framework – rather than Red Bull’s engineering – as the primary source of his discontent.
The FIA has introduced a series of tweaks to the power‑unit rules for the remainder of the season, aiming to promote more "flat‑out" driving. Adjustments include tighter limits on energy harvesting and deployment, which should reduce the amount of "super‑clipping" – the practice of deliberately slowing down on a straight to recharge the battery – and curb excessive lifting and coasting. The changes also modify 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.
Despite these efforts, Verstappen described the revisions as merely a "tickle" and far from sufficient 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 meetings with the sport’s governing bodies have been constructive and could serve as a foundation for future improvements. Looking further ahead, Verstappen expressed a desire for greater driver involvement in shaping the sport’s direction. "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 explained.
He acknowledged the complexity and politics of F1, noting that while the recent rule tweaks are a step forward, they are still modest: "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 hiatus since the last race, another significant development unfolded: Verstappen’s long‑time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, announced he will depart Red Bull and join McLaren in 2028. Lambiase has been the Dutch driver’s sole permanent engineer since they first teamed up in 2016, and Verstappen previously declared that he would consider leaving F1 if he lost that partnership after clinching his first world title in 2021. Nonetheless, Verstappen clarified that Lambiase’s move does not influence 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 said. The driver also reflected on the rarity of such chemistry between a driver and an engineer, acknowledging that finding a comparable relationship will be challenging. "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," he remarked.
Looking forward to the upcoming Miami weekend, Verstappen’s schedule is packed with both Formula 1 and support series sessions. The weekend’s itinerary includes F2 practice and qualifying sessions, the Miami GP sprint qualifying, the main Grand Prix qualifying, and the race itself, all broadcast on Sky Sports. The sprint format adds an extra layer of excitement as the 2026 season resumes after the summer break. In summary, Verstappen remains in a contemplative mood regarding his Formula 1 career.
While he acknowledges the team’s hard work on car development and the ongoing regulatory adjustments, he stresses that he still has ample time to decide his path. His focus appears to be on seeing how Red Bull’s upgrades perform, monitoring the competitive landscape, and advocating for more substantial rule changes that could revive the sport’s pure, high‑speed essence. Meanwhile, the departure of his trusted engineer adds another variable to his future considerations, but he maintains that the relationship’s end is separate from his own career choices. The coming races, especially the high‑profile Miami Grand Prix, will provide further clues about the direction Verstappen and Red Bull will take as the season progresses.