Formula 1’s 2026 regulations have prompted serious questions for Max Verstappen, who has been one of the biggest critics of this new ruleset. The four-time world champion first caused a stir during pre-season when he labelled it as “anti-racing” and like “Formula E on steroids”, due to how the power units are now more reliant on electrical energy.
The change resulted in battery management playing a key role across the opening three grands prix of 2026, with drivers often downshifting on straights, lifting and coasting into corners or super clipping – when the car is harvesting at full throttle – to maintain the car’s energy level.
The grid has been split in its opinion of the new regulations but those who speak in favour of it, namely dominant Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, are only doing so “because they are winning races”, according to Verstappen.
It certainly doesn’t help the Dutchman that his Red Bull team started the season poorly, producing an RB22 that suffers from a severe lack of balance and struggles to maintain tyre grip. The Austrian outfit has therefore slipped into the midfield as it is sixth in the constructors’ championship with only 16 points, 12 of which have been scored by Verstappen who is ninth in the drivers’ standings.
The situation is dire, to the extent of which after Japan last time out, Verstappen, who finished eighth after a Q2 exit, revealed he has “life decisions” to make in particular regards to his F1 future.
Whether he stays in the championship beyond the expiry of his current contract in 2028 has long been discussed, but this was the first time he’s put his immediate future in doubt. It comes amid Verstappen entering more and more GT3 endurance races, which will see the 28-year-old will contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours on 16-17 May.
Max Verstappen has been a harsh critic of the 2026 cars
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
But before then, his “life decisions” comment was put to him ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix and Verstappen said: “Yeah, nothing new to be honest on that side. I mean, in those weeks I’ve been busy with other things, but yeah, I still have time and I’m taking my time.”
Miami is the first race in the five weeks since Japan due to the cancellation of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain races as a result of the Middle East conflict. During that time, it was announced that Verstappen’s trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who he has worked with since 2016, will depart for McLaren by 2028 at the latest.
So there were questions about how much this could also affect Verstappen’s own future, but he insisted “it has nothing to do with it”. That’s despite the world champion previously claiming that he wouldn’t want to work with another race engineer.
“Otherwise I don’t get to drive, I will have to work with someone else,” added Verstappen. “But I think times change and the offer that he got, I would be an idiot to try and keep him. It’s not only about me all the time, it’s also about his career and moving forward.
“So for me, it was a no-brainer to be honest. But the future, that’s what we’re looking at now with a different race engineer. I’m sure we’ll find a solution for that as well.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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