Max Verstappen plans two-month sabbatical after Austrian Grand Prix crash

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has admitted he is already planning time away from the sport following a crash he described as 'strange' at this year's Austrian Grand Prix.

On Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen crashed on his team's home track, marking the second time this season he has been left confused by an incident that was 'impossible to explain' from his point of view.

The Dutchman also crashed out of qualifying at the season-opening Australian GP and on both occasions the energy drink giants have confirmed that the incident was not caused by driver error.

With tricky new machinery underneath him, Verstappen has struggled in 2026 and is nowhere near the top two in the drivers' standings—the rumoured threshold required to prevent him from activating an early contract exit clause.

Regardless of whether Verstappen opts to stay loyal to the Milton Keynes-based squad or not, he will likely still have a tough rest of the season ahead of him.

But after his crash on Saturday in Austria, Verstappen has revealed that he can at least look forward to a relaxing break from the sport during the winter break that will follow this year's campaign.

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Verstappen's Austrian GP qualifying crash is believed to have been caused by damage to the rear of his RB22, but the team still have plenty of unanswered questions regarding the handling of the car.

In conversation with Dutch publication De Telegraaf following the incident, Verstappen revealed how his run of bad luck this season has left him longing for a relaxing sabbatical following the season finale in December.

"Crazy things have been happening all season, yes," he admitted.

"I think I’ll go to Tibet at the end of the year and spend two months there relaxing like a Buddha.

"These cars are incredibly complicated, with so many bits and pieces. Sometimes I do indeed have to count to ten. Or to a hundred."

Not wanting to be too negative ahead of the first of two events that the Dutchman can consider a home race this season, he added: "We’ve also had loads of great years. Ultimately, I don’t let it get to me too much. Of course it’s not nice, but that’s life."

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