Max Verstappen ‘will not go away’ amid ongoing F1 future speculation

Max Verstappen is not going anywhere next year, insists Esteban Ocon, who believes the Dutchman’s concerns about F1’s battery-dependent era have been waylaid by the FIA’s plans to increase combustion power.

Verstappen has been the harshest critic of Formula 1’s new engine formula, with the sport adopting a 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power this season.

Esteban Ocon backs Max Verstappen to stay in Formula 1

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

The Red Bull driver has called it “anti-racing” and “Formula E on steroids” and warned he could quit the sport if he’s not having fun. And he’s not, as he doesn’t enjoy the super clipping and battery harvesting that’s required.

The FIA and Formula 1’s power unit manufacturers have announced a power ratio shift over the next two seasons. It will be 58-42 in favour of ICE next year before combustion power is ramped up to 60 per cent the year after.

Verstappen told PlanetF1.com and other media in Spain that it was a “nice change”, but that, “I would have hoped next year would be what we get already in 2028.

“But I also understand that there are politics involved in that.”

While his statement was encouraging for Formula 1, it didn’t quash rumours that he could still walk away from the sport at the end of the season.

Ocon says that’s not going to happen.

“He will not go away,” he insisted to Automoto.it.

“Clearly, if we were to lose such a winning driver for the technical regulations, it would be a problem. But it will not happen.

“They are listening to us, and we are moving in the right direction.

“I think there is a consensus that things were too complicated at the beginning of the year. And there have already been interventions, which is positive.”

In an ideal world, though, Ocon says Formula 1 should return to V8 engines.

Asked what engine regulations he believes would be the best for Formula 1, the Haas driver replied: “A non-turbo, naturally aspirated engine, a V8 or V10.

“I think the V8s were the best engines in F1. Probably with a larger displacement, not 2.4, but 3.5 or 4 litres to reach 900 hp.

“And then I would add 100-150 hp with the hybrid. It would be an engine with more character.

“If the regulations were like this, everyone would go crazy. It would be fantastic, even for us drivers. Not only for the sound, but also for the driving dynamics.

“I am convinced that F1 will go in that direction in the future.”

More on Max Verstappen’s F1 future

PF1 verdict: Where will Max Verstappen be in 2027?

Max Verstappen manager drops biggest hint yet over Red Bull future

V8 engines could return to the grid in 2030, or the latest 2031, as FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing for the change.

He is adamant that V8 power units that run on sustainable fuel with minimal electrical power would be “simpler, lighter, safer, louder”.https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-v8-engines-return-mohammed-ben-sulayem-louder-lighter-future

“I am committed to bringing V8s back to Formula 1,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

“Ideally by 2030, but certainly by 2031 as part of the next FIA regulations cycle.

“V8s are lighter, simpler and more cost-effective, while sustainable fuels mean they can remain aligned with our environmental ambitions.

“More importantly, they bring back the unique, visceral sounds that fans around the world associate with Formula 1.”

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: A god or just fortunate? Sainz weighs in on Hamilton’s breakthrough Ferrari win