Max Verstappen F1 exit rumours swirl as disgruntled star arrives at rival series

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen exit rumours swirl as disgruntled F1 star arrives at rival series

During his time off from the racetrack, Max Verstappen was spotted at the....racetrack

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Thursday 9 April 2026 23:00

Max Verstappen continues to stay hooked to motorsport, with the Dutch driver present at Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend, as speculation grows about a possible departure from Formula 1.

A five-week break in the F1 calendar has likely come at the perfect time for Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, following a challenging outing at Suzuka, where the four-time champion could only manage an eighth-place finish.

His comments after the race, in which a frustrated Verstappen voiced concerns about the new generation of F1 cars, have heightened fears that he could step away from the sport entirely.

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F1 will be the furthest concern from Verstappen's mind in the coming weeks however, as the Dutchman prepares for the 24h Nurburgring qualifiers which take place on April 18 and 19.

Before then however, Verstappen couldn't resist a further GT appearance, although this time was content to support the drivers rather than to race.

Verstappen at GT World Challenge Europe

Taking part this weekend will be none other than Aston Martin F1 star Lance Stroll, who has used the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix to emulate Verstappen and enjoy some GT running of his own.

Stroll will get behind the wheel of the Comtoyou Racing, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 car alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya.

They will find themselves rivals with Verstappen's racing team however, even though the champion himself isn't competing. Nevertheless, the Dutchman arrived at Paul Ricard for the Prologue test (taking place April 8-9) with Dani Juncadella, who won alongside Verstappen and Jules Gounon at the Nurburgring in March - before the car was ultimately disqualified.

The Spaniard will drive Verstappen Racing’s No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in the Endurance Cup this year, after the team announced their step up to the Pro class for the first time in 2026.

Juncadella, Gounon will reunite with Verstappen, alongside Lucas Auer, for the iconic Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

GT World Challenge Calendar 2026

Round	Date	Race
1	April 11-12	Circuit Paul Ricard
2	May 2-3	Brands Hatch
3	May 29-31	Monza
4	June 24-28	24 Hours of Spa
5	July 17-19	Misano
6	July 31-August 2	Magny-Cours
7	August 28-30	Nurburgring
8	September 18-20	Zandvoort
9	October 2-4	Barcelona
10	October 16-18	Portimao