Max Verstappen has made it clear that he is not rushing any decisions about his long‑term place in Formula 1. The Dutch champion, who has hinted at the possibility of stepping away from the sport, says he is giving himself plenty of time to weigh his options. His comments come after the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March, where he suggested that the new regulatory package for the 2026 season and a sluggish start for Red Bull had left him contemplating his future.
Since then, Verstappen has been largely silent on the subject, noting that there is "nothing new" to add and that his focus has been elsewhere. He has been busy preparing for a 24‑hour endurance race at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, an experience that will test his stamina and adaptability ahead of the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.
"I still have time and I'm taking my time," he told reporters before the Miami weekend. When Sky Italy asked whether a sudden improvement in Red Bull’s performance would sway his thinking, Verstappen 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 emphasized his commitment to the team, saying, "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." Currently ninth in the Drivers' Championship, Verstappen has not finished inside the top five in any of the first three races of the 2026 campaign. He has repeatedly pointed to the regulatory changes – rather than a lack of Red Bull performance – as the main source of his frustration. The FIA has altered power‑unit rules for the remainder of the season to promote more "flat‑out" driving. Adjustments include tighter limits on energy harvesting and deployment, a reduction in the need for "super‑clipping" (slowing on a straight to recharge the battery), and revised boost‑mode parameters after Oliver Bearman's dramatic crash in Japan.
Despite these tweaks, Verstappen described the changes as a mere "tickle" and not enough to restore the pure, high‑speed racing he and many fans crave. "I just hope for next year we can make really big changes," he said. He praised recent meetings with the sport’s governing bodies, calling them a positive step toward greater driver input in shaping Formula 1’s future.
"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 added. Verstappen acknowledged the complexity and politics of the sport, noting that while everyone is trying to improve the product, the recent rule changes feel like a drop in the ocean.
"Of course it won't change the world," he said, but he remains hopeful that ongoing dialogue will lead to more substantial reforms. In the background of these discussions, Verstappen’s 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 previously declared that he would not continue racing if he lost that partnership. Verstappen clarified that Lambiase’s departure is unrelated to 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. "As a team we look to the future, we always want to innovate and improve and that's what we are doing right now." The Dutchman half‑joked that it would be "an idiot" to try and keep Lambiase after the attractive offer from McLaren, acknowledging 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, 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 explained.
As the 2026 season resumes with a sprint weekend in Miami, the schedule is packed with supporting events, including Formula 2 practice and qualifying sessions, team boss press conferences, and multiple Sky Sports programming blocks. Fans can watch the Miami Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available through NOW, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime service.
Overall, Verstappen’s message is one of patience and measured reflection. He is not ruling out a departure, but he is also not making any hasty moves. The combination of regulatory tweaks, car performance, and team dynamics will all play a role in shaping his final decision, and he intends to keep evaluating each factor as the season unfolds.