Well done F1, Max Verstappen retirement is now entirely logical

Max Verstappen

Well done F1, Max Verstappen retirement is now entirely logical

How much more of the new F1 rules can Max Verstappen take

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 19 March 2026 17:57

After just two rounds of the F1 2026 championship, talk of a looming retirement for four-time champion Max Verstappen is not only rampant but now also entirely logical.

In just a matter of weeks space, chatter about the Dutchman's potential retirement has gone from simply stemming from angry post-session soundbites to something the sport should genuinely be concerned about.

At 28 years old, Verstappen has often spoken of his desire to only race in F1 for as long as he enjoys it, with neither money nor a record-breaking amount of titles a motivating factor for him.

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But despite being so early in the new regulations cycle, it has now become painfully clear that the enjoyment has already been taken out of racing for Verstappen thanks to the new power unit rules.

So, what does this mean for The Flying Dutchman's chances of welcoming an early retirement from F1 altogether?

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen furious as Russell linked with shock Mercedes exit

Should Max Verstappen retire from F1?

After suffering his first DNF of the year in Shanghai last weekend, Verstappen gave another scathing assessment of the energy deployment changes, telling media: "If someone likes this... then you really don't know what racing is like. Not fun at all. Playing Mario Kart. This is not racing. Boosting past, then you run out of battery, the next straight they boost past you again. For me, it's just a joke."

The Red Bull star had already been present at crisis meetings with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who reassured fans that the disgruntled Dutchman would remain a part of the sport's future.

After holding meetings with Verstappen in Bahrain, Domenicali told media: "It is very important we listen to him," but just a month on from those conversations, F1 is instead doubling down on the new regulations, with several key figures in the sport now becoming critical of the champion instead of rallying behind him.

With support for the 28-year-old's stance now seemingly evaporating, that will only serve to harden his stance about leaving F1. After all, when was the last time you remember Verstappen backing down from something?

Why would he stay?

Verstappen has been accused of throwing his toys out of the pram early on in the new regulations cycle given that Red Bull are clearly not the frontrunning team.

But with four drivers' titles under his belt already, why would Verstappen put up with machinery that has 'horrible' driveability for any longer than he is contractually obliged to?

At 28, Verstappen's F1 retirement would be a premature one if he was to leave the sport at the end of this season, or within the next couple of years.

An exit at the end of the 2028 campaign, when his current Red Bull contract expires, would see him stepping away from the pinnacle of motorsport at just 31 years of age, that's an entire decade younger than Lewis Hamilton is now.

But come on, we're talking about a man who can barely enjoy a weekend away from the F1 calendar without finding somewhere else to compete.

In fact, when he was asked whether his legions of Dutch fans should be worried about seeing him race in the future, Verstappen said: "No way, I'll just race somewhere else. We could probably have a barbecue there and set up a nice party tent."

The bottom line is that if the four-time champion isn't having fun, he is still young enough to take a sabbatical from F1 and leave fans on edge awaiting his potential return, should the sport ever develop into something more his speed in future.

Can F1 survive without champions?

But would the sport survive without Verstappen? Of course it would, this is Formula 1, but the Dutchman has an undeniable pull when it comes to marketability.

Just ask the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS Series).

What's more, it is a genuine possibility that in a matter of years, the F1 grid could be absent of iconic champions.

Ahead of the 2025 campaign there were an influx of rookies, and rightfully so, the sport should never be opposed to letting new talent find its way onto the grid.

But as F1's aging champions continue to discuss retirement, there could very well come a time in the near future when the multiple-championship winning drivers have all called time on their careers.

Let's take Hamilton for example, both he and his fans would love to believe he has many more seasons left in him, but he is now 41 years old and even admitted himself that he is 'running out of time' to tick off the remaining items on his racing career bucket list.

Then there's Fernando Alonso, who, let's face it, will be lucky to even make it to the end of 2026 if the vibrations from Honda's power unit have anything to do with it.

Just imagine a grid without Hamilton, Alonso and Verstappen, that would leave Lando Norris as the sole champion on the grid as things stand, and given McLaren's disappointing start to 2026, he certainly doesn't look like the favourite to retain the title this season.

So perhaps this is when Verstappen could make his comeback.

It would be in such Verstappen-style for the champion to vote with his feet and abandon F1 for as long as the regulations do not please him. Then, just when the sport is missing out on star driver quality, the Dutchman could rise from the ashes (or wherever he chose to spend his sabbatical) and finally make the career-defining comeback that previous champions such as Alonso and Schumacher failed to do.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen 2026 regulations