Max Verstappen says he will take his time to decide his F1 future

Formula 1’s 2026 regulations have prompted serious questions for Max Verstappen, who has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the new ruleset. The four-time world champion first caused a stir during pre-season testing when he labelled the new era as “anti-racing” and likened it to “Formula E on steroids,” pointing to the power units' heavy reliance on electrical energy.

The regulatory shift has resulted in battery management playing a pivotal role across the opening three grands prix of 2026. Drivers are frequently forced into downshifting on straights, lifting and coasting into corners, or engaging in super clipping—harvesting at full throttle—just to maintain their car’s energy levels.

The grid remains split in its opinion of the new regulations. However, those who speak in favour of the changes—namely the dominant Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli—are only doing so “because they are winning races,” according to Verstappen.

Red Bull's midfield slump

It certainly doesn’t help the Dutchman that his Red Bull team has endured a dismal start to the season. The Milton Keynes squad has produced an RB22 that suffers from a severe lack of balance and struggles to maintain tyre grip. Consequently, the Austrian outfit has slipped into the midfield, currently sitting sixth in the constructors’ championship with a mere 16 points. Of those, 12 have been scored by Verstappen, who languishes in ninth in the drivers’ standings.

The situation is dire. Following the Japanese Grand Prix—where Verstappen finished eighth after a frustrating Q2 exit—the world champion revealed he has “life decisions” to make, specifically regarding his F1 future.

Whether he stays in the championship beyond the expiry of his current contract in 2028 has long been a topic of discussion, but this marks the first time he has cast doubt on his immediate future. This uncertainty comes as Verstappen enters more GT3 endurance races; the 28-year-old is set to contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours on 16-17 May.

Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, his “life decisions” comment was put to him once again. Verstappen responded: “Yeah, nothing new to be honest on that side. I mean, in those weeks I've been busy with other things, but yeah, I still have time and I'm taking my time.”

The departure of Gianpiero Lambiase

Miami marks the first race in the five weeks since Japan, following the cancellation of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain rounds due to the Middle East conflict. During this unexpected break, it was announced that Verstappen’s trusted race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase—who he has worked with since 2016—will depart for McLaren by 2028 at the latest, a move Laurent Mekies described as an extraordinary opportunity.

Given the critical bond between driver and race engineer, questions naturally arose about how much Lambiase's exit could affect Verstappen’s own future. Guenther Steiner noted Lambiase left Red Bull while his value was high, but Verstappen insisted “it has nothing to do with it,” despite previously claiming he wouldn’t want to work with another race engineer.

“Otherwise I don't get to drive, I will have to work with someone else,” Verstappen added. “But I think times change and the offer that he got, I would be an idiot to try and keep him. It's not only about me all the time, it's also about his career and moving forward.

“So for me, it was a no-brainer to be honest. But the future, that's what we're looking at now with a different race engineer. I'm sure we'll find a solution for that as well.”