Formula 1 News: Why Verstappen Is Dead Serious About Walking Away After 2026? Max Verstappen (pictured with Sky Sports Craig Slater) has made no secret of his growing disillusionment with Formula 1. In recent weeks, the Dutchman has openly questioned whether he wants to continue racing beyond the end of the 2026 season â and those closest to the sport are treating the warning with genuine concern rather than dismissing it as post-race frustration. –by Mark Cipolloni– The root cause? The new 2026 regulations have, in Verstappenâs eyes, stripped the sport of the very thing that made it worth competing in: raw driver skill. The 2026 cars place an unprecedented emphasis on battery harvesting and electrical power deployment. Drivers must constantly manage energy rather than attack corners or out-brake rivals in the classic sense. Verstappen has repeatedly described the new formula as âanti-racing,â âFormula E on steroids,â and even âplaying Mario Kartâ â where boosting past someone on one straight is immediately undone when the battery runs out on the next. âItâs terrible,â he said after a frustrating Chinese Grand Prix. âIf someone likes this, then you really donât know what racing is about. Itâs not fun at all.â Related Article:Â Formula 1 Rumor: Verstappen will quit Formula 1 after 2026 This isnât a sudden outburst. Verstappen has voiced these concerns since early simulator runs in 2023. Now, with the cars on track and Red Bull struggling to adapt, his frustration has boiled over into talk of an early exit â despite a contract that runs to 2028. Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft is among those who believe the threat is real. In a recent appearance on The F1 Show, Croft delivered a blunt assessment that should make the FIA, Red Bull, and the entire paddock sit up and