Verstappen Questions F1 Future, Says He Is Not Enjoying the Sport

The Nürburgring made Max Verstappen smile. Formula 1, right now, did not.

After qualifying 11th for the Japanese Grand Prix, a result that would have been unthinkable during his championship-winning years, the four-time world champion told BBC Sport he is "not enjoying" the sport following this season's sweeping rule changes. It was, by most accounts, the most explicit public signal yet that the 28-year-old Dutchman was seriously weighing whether to remain in the sport.

"There's a lot of stuff for me personally to figure out," Verstappen said following Saturday's qualifying session at Suzuka. Asked to elaborate, he kept his answer deliberately spare: "Life... Life here." He confirmed his sentiments were tied directly to the current F1 regulations.

The discontent did not begin at Suzuka. Even before the season started, Verstappen had warned the new rules and cars "aren't helping to extend my F1 career," a remark that gained considerably more weight after a dismal opening stretch to the campaign. "I just hope that the changes are big enough for next year," he added, making clear that F1's regulatory direction would factor heavily in any decision about his future.

Verstappen holds a Red Bull contract through 2028, but there are exit clauses in the deal, and reports suggest he may consider activating one later this year. The calculus is not purely professional. He has a young daughter at home, and the question of what makes the sport worth the sacrifice appeared to be pressing on him with new urgency.

GT racing offered a different answer. Verstappen spent some weekends away from the grand prix calendar competing at the Nürburgring, and even after being disqualified following a race win, he said the experience put "a big smile" on his face, a contrast he did not need to make explicit.

His frustrations extended beyond the cars themselves to the structure of the calendar. Speaking to Dutch media in Las Vegas in November, Verstappen outlined a starkly different vision for the sport: "Definitely a lot fewer races. Only the good tracks, not too many street circuits. Two-day race weekends, no sprints. One practice, one qualifying and a race. That's enough. I've already driven an F1 car a lot." He raised similar themes on the Securing the Win podcast.

He was also reconsidering his race number. With the FIA having formally allowed mid-career changes, Verstappen admitted he was weighing his options for 2026. "I do indeed need approval, so it's a good question which number I'll be driving next year," he said. His first instinct was characteristically irreverent: "Actually, I wanted 69. But my dad didn't think that was a good idea. I thought it was great, the number looks the same from every angle. From a marketing point of view, perfect!" Number 27 also appealed because "the 2 and the 7 look nice together," but that is registered to Nico Hulkenberg. For now, Verstappen settled on 3 as his preference, though "other numbers are cool too." His current 33 dates back to his childhood karting days.

No source indicated Verstappen had decided to leave. But for a driver who has defined a generation, four titles deep into a contract that runs to 2028, the fact that he was openly asking whether it was worth it marked something new.