Verstappen reiterates F1 quit threat if 2027 changes blocked

Max Verstappen has reiterated he will not remain in Formula 1 if proposed changes to next year’s regulations are not carried out.

The FIA announced an agreement in principle to address the balance of power by increasing the influence of the internal combustion engine to 60% over 40% electrical energy, compared to the current nearer 50:50 split. Verstappen said on Thursday that the proposals are more likely to see him remain in the sport as they are “definitely heading into a very positive direction,” having previously suggested he could leave due to a lack of enjoyment driving the current cars.

However, amid uncertainty that the rule change will go through as some manufacturers have voiced concerns over costs and competitive changes, Verstappen says he will not remain in the sport with its current regulations.

“If it stays like this, it’s going to be a long year next year that I don’t want,” Verstappen said. “It’s just mentally not doable for me if it stays like this. It’s really not.”

Verstappen said he would not take a sabbatical but move on from F1 as “there’s a lot of other fun things out there,” but remains hopeful the regulations will be amended next year.

“Let’s stay on the positive side – we are still, I think, looking towards making those changes,” he said. “Of course some people that maybe have a bit of advantage at the moment will try to be difficult about it, but if the FIA is strong, and also from the FOM side, they just need do it. [If the FIA force it through] it will be better for the sport as a whole.”

Mercedes and Red Bull are understood to be in favor of changes, with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also believing they are necessary to redress the balance.

“While we are getting used to this Formula 1, and while we have made some steps forward with adjustments of the current hardware and possibly we can make further adjustments for 2026, in my view, a change of the hardware is needed,” Stella said.

“A change of the hardware, which we can summarize in this 60-40 – in reality is something slightly more complicated than that – but the proposal that was put forward by the FIA which looks at increasing the ICE power through the fuel flow, looks at redistributing the electrical power in harvesting, in deployment, the battery capacity, they were all part of a very important package that will make Formula 1 better.

“And this is a general interest that should prevail over the particular interests, because if we don't have a good sport, if we don't preserve the value of the business, the value of Formula 1, everyone will have a loss. So I do hope that the conversation ongoing will lead to a successful position.

“There will be an agreement which will make this 60-40 – but like I said, it's slightly more complicated than that – a reality, because this will overcome finally some of the limitations that with the current hardware are fundamentally inherent to this hardware that we are using at the moment.

“I think we are [still] getting used because, we don't want to repeat ourselves, but if I listen to the debrief of the drivers, once again the driver said, ‘I did such a good job in going on power, so early out of corner 7 and so early out of corner 9, I'm gaining in exit a little bit and then the other car gains because he was slower going on power and now he has more deployment.’ So I think this is something that we want to cure and we have a possibility to do it in 2027.”