Will Max really retire?
At the end of the recent Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen gave a long interview to the BBC, where he described in detail his state of mind after the first races of 2026. The Dutch champion’s feelings are not just simple discontent over Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness, but a deep frustration stemming from a regulation that is taking away all the fun of driving.
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Ralf Schumacher on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast by Sky Deutschland does not believe in the retirement intentions mentioned by Max: “Being in F1 is something special. Of course, he can always say he’s had enough. But try to find an alternative: a GT car – as beautiful as it is – weighs 1,4 tons and is a completely different story. And then there’s the possibility of traveling the world, challenging the best drivers in the world. I can’t imagine him giving all this up so soon.”
“F1 is bigger than Verstappen”
Ralf Schumacher, while admitting his respect for Verstappen, reminded him: “Formula 1 is bigger than any of us. Whether it’s Bernie Ecclestone or any driver, if they were no longer there tomorrow, what would happen to F1? To put it bluntly, if Max Verstappen retired, it would be the same thing. If he no longer wants to race in Formula 1, it will be noted and Red Bull will look for a new driver.”
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The former German driver for Jordan, Williams and Toyota then wondered about Red Bull’s reaction to Verstappen’s words: “His statements are not fair to them, because they will wonder: ‘But is he giving his all to pull us out of the mud?’. Max must be careful,” Ralf Schumacher concluded.
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