Verstappen drops biggest hint yet over F1 exit amid Nürburgring debut

Max Verstappen is “taking my time” on deciding on his long-term F1 future and said he did not spend any of the enforced break thinking about it.

The Dutchman’s participation in this weekend’s race at the Nürburgring will put further focus on his future in F1, with Verstappen contracted to Red Bull only to 2028.

Max Verstappen prepared to wait on F1 future

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Even before this season’s regulation changes, Verstappen has been consistent in saying he will not stay in F1 as long as his colleagues Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have.

Still, the 2026 rules may have hastened his exit, given his strong dislike of them.

Verstappen has been the most critical, or at least the most asked, voice on the regulations, calling it “anti-racing” and “Mario Kart”.

Formula 1 and the FIA have made efforts to improve the rules, implementing energy management tweaks ahead of the Miami Grand Prix but Verstappen still wasn’t happy.

An enforced absence from races due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Grand Prix may have prompted some longer-term thinking for Verstappen but he insisted he spent no time in his break thinking about his future.

“Nothing new, to be honest, on that side,” he said when asked if he had reflected any more during F1’s enforced absence. “In those weeks, I was busy with other things.

“But I still have time, and I’m taking my time.”

Although not done solely to appease Verstappen, further rule changes by the sport’s governing body and commercial management were, at least in principle, revealed for the 2027 season.

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Speaking before the 2027 news was announced, Verstappen did suggest the current changes were just a “tickle” and would not “change the world.”

“The positive thing about it, we had some nice meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA,” he said. “And I think that’s probably like a starting point, hopefully for the future, even in a few years’ time, or 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, and I think that’s already like a huge step forward in terms of the communication.

“Of course, with the changes that are made, I think it’s more like a tickle, because at the end of the day, you know, F1, it’s a very complex and political sport, but I think everyone has tried their best to at least do something. But of course, it won’t change the world.”

This weekend sees Verstappen make his 24-hour Nürburgring debut, an event many are seeing as a forerunner to the Dutchman leaving F1 to pursue other opportunities.

Verstappen will compete as part of Verstappen Racing in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, run in collaboration with Winward Racing. His team-mates for the endurance event will be GT3 specialists Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella, and Lucas Auer.

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