Martin Brundle tells Max Verstappen to ‘go or stop talking’ over F1 future
Martin Brundle told Max Verstappen to "go, or stop talking" about his F1 future
Martin Brundle said it is “getting a bit boring” hearing Max Verstappen question his Formula 1 future, and he feels Verstappen would agree. If he wants to leave, “go, or stop talking about it”.
Verstappen is “doing quite a lot of damage” with his public approach to criticising F1 2026, says Brundle, who claims that Michael Schumacher would have first done his metaphorical throat-grabbing behind closed doors. Brundle doubts that Verstappen would actually quit Formula 1, as long as he ends up back in a competitive car. Verstappen has insisted that his complaints are independent of Red Bull’s struggles.
Martin Brundle tells Max Verstappen: ‘Go, or stop talking about it’
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Verstappen has made it known that he is not a fan of this new Formula 1 era, which places a major emphasis on battery harvesting and deployment.
After the Japanese Grand Prix, he issued his clearest warning yet, by confirming that he is contemplating quitting Formula 1 after the 2026 season.
The topic of Verstappen’s future was discussed on Sky F1’s latest ‘The F1 Show’ podcast.
Sky F1 lead commentator David Croft said he does not believe Verstappen’s words to be “empty threats at all”.
Verstappen has stressed that his complaints come from a lack of enjoyment from this F1, and have nothing to do with Red Bull’s difficult start to the season.
The likes of Carlos Sainz and reigning World Champion Lando Norris, also feature among the drivers to have criticised this ruleset.
“The drivers’ love and comments are directly proportional to how their cars are going at the moment,” Brundle claimed.
“I don’t say that in a negative or flippant way, because they’re all hardwired to win, but it’s quite clear that if your car is rubbish and you’re not anywhere near the front, you’re more vociferous than those that are at the front.”
Verstappen has been the most outspoken, and Brundle was similarly fierce in his assessment.
“Max is very unfiltered. He always has been. He’s talked a lot, for a long time, about, ‘I’m not in this for the long haul. I’m not going to be hanging around here in my 40s’.
“And Max would say it’s getting a bit boring now. I think it’s getting a bit boring with what he’s saying.
“Either go, or stop talking about it.
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“Because it is what it is, you’ve got to make the most of it.
“I would hugely miss his talent. His generational speed and car control is something that very few people in the history of motorsport have had. It’s quite extraordinary.
“And I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that, given they [Red Bull] were building their own powertrain for the first time, that his management would have put in an exit clause at the end of this year to see how it goes.
“Mercedes are saying, ‘No, there’s no place at this particular inn at the moment’. So, quite what he would do. I don’t know.
“Nobody’s indispensable in this business. I’ve seen a number of amazing people come through this sport and are no longer with us, or moved on and have done something else, and the sport carries on. The great Murray Walker would be one of them.
“And this goes for any of us. The minute we stop, people will be talking about whoever’s doing the job next. There are any number of Antonellis, Bearmans, Lindblads out there who would do the job incredibly well for one per cent of the money.
“So the sport will just move on if Max decides to go.
“But he’s sort of doing quite a lot of damage meanwhile.
“But I think we all appreciate that’s how Max rock and rolls.
“I’d be surprised if he’d really walk away from it.
“It’s great to be at the Nurburgring. I’ve done that in the paddock. It’s 150 cars on the track or so. He’ll find the 24 hour race quite challenging, quite sketchy. But he’s got his own team. He loves that. He loves his sim racing.
“Do I think he’d just walk away from F1? No, I don’t. Providing he can get a car that pleases him.
“His points are brutally made, but actually well made, that this is just wrong at the moment.
“But, what a Schumacher would have done is close the door, thumped the desk, metaphorically got hold of the right people by the throat, walk out, and with a smile, go, ‘Everything’s fine’.
“And then if they don’t sort it out, which we’re looking forward to for Miami, then you start going on to the media.
“But that’s not how he does things. So that’s emptying my mind on the subject.”
Formula 1 and the FIA will hold a series of meetings through April to discuss potential tweaks to the regulations before the season resumes in Miami.
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