FIA president delivers blunt Max Verstappen verdict: F1 will survive without him

Max Verstappen

FIA president delivers blunt Verstappen verdict: F1 will survive without him

Max Verstappen is a four-time F1 world champion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 8 May 2026 11:15

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has suggested that F1 doesn't need four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Verstappen's future in the sport has been called into question in recent weeks because of his dislike of the new regulation changes that have swept into F1 this year.

The new cars have a heavier emphasis on electrical energy and battery power, with Verstappen claiming that they are 'not fun' to drive while also suggesting that the series is now more like video game series Mario Kart.

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Verstappen is said to be 'seriously considering' retiring from the sport, despite only being 28 and despite being contracted until the end of the 2028 season.

But at the recent Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen appeared to be much happier, with his Red Bull team returning to form and the Dutchman able to qualify up in second before finishing fifth in the grand prix, following some brilliant driving to recover from an early mistake.

Speaking at that race weekend, Ben Sulayem hinted that it would not be the end of the world if Verstappen were to retire, despite also admitting that the sport 'will miss him'.

"If he goes, we will miss him, but the sport will go ahead," FIA president Ben Sulayem told press at the Miami Grand Prix. "So many stars come and go - and teams.

"But the Formula 1 will always stay. FIA will always stay."

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Verstappen's legacy in F1

Despite not even being in his 30s yet, Verstappen has already gone down in history as one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time.

He has four championships, earned consecutively between 2021-2024, but he also sits third in the all-time lists of race wins and podiums, behind only seven-time champions Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

On top of this, Verstappen also boasts a few all-time records of his own, including the most amount of grands prix won consecutively (10 in 2023), as well as the most amount of race wins in a single season (19 in 2023).

Verstappen would be a huge loss for the sport, and a shock early retirement would lead to some soul searching for F1, particularly with legends Fernando Alonso and Hamilton edging closer to retirement too.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen FIA Miami Grand Prix Mohammed Ben Sulayem