Max Verstappen has made it clear that he is not rushing any decision about his future in Formula 1. The Dutch champion, who recently hinted at the possibility of stepping away from the sport, emphasized that he still has plenty of time to weigh his options. His comments came after the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March, where he voiced frustration with the new technical regulations that have left Red Bull off the pace at the start of the 2026 campaign. Since that interview, Verstappen has been busy with a variety of commitments beyond the F1 calendar.
He spent time at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, preparing for a 24‑hour endurance race scheduled for May. When asked by Sky Italy whether a sudden improvement in Red Bull’s performance would sway his thinking, the driver replied that the team is currently a little further behind last year’s benchmark and that his own feelings remain unchanged.
"What I said in Japan still stands," he said, "but I still have a lot of time." Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen reiterated his patient approach: "I still have time and I’m taking my time." He added that the team has been working hard on car upgrades and that they need to see how those developments play out before drawing any conclusions. "I just want to be here," he explained, noting that the competitive landscape also depends on what other teams bring to the table. At the moment Verstappen sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship and has not managed a top‑five finish in any of the opening three rounds.
He attributes this slump more to the regulatory environment than to a lack of performance from Red Bull. The FIA has introduced a series of tweaks to the power‑unit rules for the remainder of the season, aiming to encourage "flat‑out" driving.
These adjustments include tighter limits on energy harvesting and deployment, which should reduce the need for "super‑clipping" – the practice of slowing on a straight to recharge the battery – and minimise lifting and coasting. The changes also affect boost modes, a response to Oliver Bearman’s dramatic crash in Japan where he had to take evasive action to avoid Franco Colapinto. Verstappen, however, dismissed the latest rule tweaks as a mere "tickle" and not the substantial overhaul needed to restore pure, high‑speed racing.
He expressed hope that next year will bring far more significant reforms. "The positive thing is we’ve had some constructive meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA," he said, suggesting those talks could be a starting point for future improvements. Looking further ahead, Verstappen hopes that drivers will have a stronger voice in shaping the sport. "Even in a few years, when maybe I’m not here anymore, I really hope future drivers will have more input to the organisers," he added, emphasizing that the drivers’ on‑track experience gives them a valuable perspective on what makes F1 entertaining and commercially viable.
He acknowledged that Formula 1 is a complex and political arena, and while the recent changes are a step forward, they are insufficient to transform the sport overnight. "It’s more like a tickle," he said, "but everyone has tried their best to do something, even if it won’t change the world instantly." During the five‑week break since the last race, Verstappen’s long‑time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, announced a surprising move: he will leave Red Bull and join McLaren by 2028.
Lambiase has been Verstappen’s sole permanent engineer since they first teamed up in 2016, and the driver once declared that he would quit F1 if he lost that partnership. Despite the news, Verstappen stressed 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 there are no hard feelings," Verstappen said. He also joked that trying to retain Lambiase would make him "an idiot," acknowledging the difficulty of finding another engineer with the same chemistry.
"The understanding and chemistry we have is rare in racing. It’s not easy to replicate, but sometimes it happens," he explained. Looking ahead to the Miami weekend, the schedule is packed. On Friday, May 1, the day starts with F2 practice, followed by Miami GP practice, F2 qualifying, a team bosses’ press conference, and the sprint qualifying session.
Saturday features the F2 sprint, the Miami sprint build‑up, the sprint race itself, and the qualifying build‑up leading to the main qualifying. Sunday concludes with the F2 feature race, the Grand Prix build‑up, the Miami Grand Prix, and post‑race reaction shows. All events will be broadcast on Sky Sports, with streaming available via NOW without a contract. In summary, Verstappen is taking a measured approach to his career decisions, waiting to see how Red Bull’s car development and the FIA’s regulatory changes unfold.
He remains hopeful that future rule revisions will bring back the high‑speed, wheel‑to‑wheel battles that define Formula 1, and he wishes for greater driver involvement in shaping the sport’s direction. While his engineer’s move to McLaren adds a personal twist, Verstappen assures fans that his own future remains his own business, and he will continue to focus on extracting the maximum performance from the Red Bull package as the season progresses.