Martin Brundle thinks Max Verstappen will stay in F1 but only on one condition

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Max Verstappen

Martin Brundle thinks Max Verstappen will stay in F1 but only on one condition

Max Verstappen is a four-time world champion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 2 April 2026 21:15 Updated: 20:15

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F1 legend Martin Brundle has said that four-time world champion Max Verstappen will stay in the sport, but only on one condition.

28-year-old Verstappen said following the Japanese Grand Prix that he is contemplating his future in F1 because of the new regulations that have been brought in for the 2026 season.

Verstappen has constantly reiterated that the rules have meant that the new F1 cars are not fun to drive, while he stated after the Chinese Grand Prix that it was like racing in Mario Kart, with an increased responsibility being placed on the drivers to manage their battery capacity.

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What's more, Verstappen's Red Bull team appear to have built a car that is destined for midfield battles in 2026, with the Dutchman only able to score 12 points from the first three grand prix weekends of the season.

Verstappen has lots of racing hobbies outside of F1, including in GT Racing, where he is set to compete in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race in May.

All of this pent-up frustration led Verstappen to admit that he is considering quitting F1 before his contract runs out at the end of 2028.

However, Brundle has now said that Verstappen will not leave if he has a car capable of challenging for more world championships, with the Dutchman having been linked with a move to Mercedes in each of the last two seasons.

Brundle believes that we would see a different attitude from Verstappen towards the regulations if he was currently in the hunt for race victories and the drivers' championship.

What did Brundle say about Verstappen's threat of an exit?

"Max is very unfiltered, isn't he - always has been - and he's talked a lot for a long time about 'I'm not in this for the long haul, I'm not gonna be hanging around here in my 40s' or whatever," Brundle told the F1 Show. "And Max would say 'it's getting a bit boring'. Now, I think it's getting a bit boring with what he's saying.

"You know, Either go or stop talking about it, 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.

"I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that, given they 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 no longer with us, or moved on and 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 you know that I think we all appreciate, that's how Max rock and rolls, but I'd be surprised if he'd really walk away from it.

"Do I think he would just walk away from F1? No, I don't, providing he can get a car that pleases him."

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Martin Brundle