The new Formula One season is still only three races old, but the sport already finds itself wrestling with some kind of existential crisis.
Given the scale of changes introduced as per the new regulations for 2026, this was always likely to be a season where we would see a few teething problems and complaints.
In particular, the new engine rules, which now see a 50-50 split between combustion power and electrification, have drawn widespread criticism from drivers and fans alike.
How a driver chooses to harvest energy and deploy their battery over the course of a lap is now of paramount importance, to the point that it actually takes precedence over their ability to drive the car at maximum speed.
That’s not racing. Most people would agree on that. It is gimmicky and diminishes the most important factor in the whole sport; that is, a driver’s raw talent and skill level behind the wheel.
There is a growing feeling that those in charge of Formula One have got this wrong. Not only does it reduce driver skill level, the new rules also bring an element of danger.
Verstappen is considering his future after another turgid race and an eighth-placed finish
The huge speed disparity between cars, which can happen at any moment if a driver chooses to harvest energy, was a key factor in Oliver Bearman’s huge 190mph crash at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
It is likely that the regulations could well be tweaked over the course of the season, with more substantial changes being introduced for 2027 or 2028.
Whatever changes are eventually introduced, will it be enough to convince Max Verstappen that he still has a future in the sport?
That seemed to be the question on everyone’s lips last weekend at Suzuka, with Verstappen openly admitting that he is considering his future after another turgid race and an eighth-placed finish.
The four-time world champion has failed to even muster a podium finish across the three races so far in the new season, with his Red Bull car a long way off the pace.
Maybe he holds a sense of regret. There were strong links with Mercedes last year, and given that it is the Silver Arrows who have won all three Grand Prix so far, there’s bound to be part of him that wonders what might have been.
Oliver Bearman’s damaged Haas after his crash during the Japan Grand Prix
Verstappen dominated the headlines in Japan. The weekend started with him ejecting a journalist from his media conference… over a question that had been asked over three months ago at the end of last season.
And the weekend would finish with him dropping the bombshell that he could walk away from Formula One, so dissatisfied is he with the current regulations and state of play.
Simple question. Does any of this happen if Verstappen is in a fast car and winning races? No, almost certainly not.
The fact that Red Bull have armed him with sub-standard machinery and a car that looks hopelessly uncompetitive has led to Verstappen spitting the dummy.
His spat with Giles Richards, a reporter from the Guardian, was unedifying and unnecessary. Banning journalists is rarely a smart move, and that applies across all platforms.
All the more so when the incident in question related to them asking an entirely legitimate question. All in all, it was a terrible look for Verstappen and Red Bull.
But it was merely the latest act of petulance from a driver who, for all his ability behind the wheel, possesses the emotional maturity of a teenage brat.
These tantrums with Verstappen are not new, but they are becoming more pronounced and dramatic. The fact he is, for the first time in his career, now driving a dog of a car is not a coincidence.
He is a generational talent. That much is beyond question. Even at 28, his legacy is already secure as one of F1’s all-time greats.
In the fullness of time, he will stand alongside Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and the likes. His natural talent is immense.
But Formula One is not beholden to Verstappen. The sport does not owe him any favours. The fact his Red Bull car is slow and uncompetitive is a problem for them, and them alone, to solve.
It is certainly not incumbent on F1’s bosses to find ways of helping Verstappen or enticing him to prolong his career in the sport.
Verstappen ejected a journalist from his media conference before the Japan Grand Prix
Verstappen wasn’t complaining about rules when he was winning his four titles
Which is why so much of the narrative and discourse from last weekend was so flawed. If he wants to quit, then so be it. Let him walk away. No one driver is bigger than the sport itself.
Whatever changes F1’s bosses make to the regulations should be for the betterment of the sport; not purely a means to try and appease Verstappen.
It would be wrong to indulge him in this way, just as it was wrong for his off-track petulance to be indulged in last week’s media conference.
Verstappen has already been in Formula One for over a decade, having made his debut back in 2015. Maybe there is an element of fatigue and burn-out.
Certainly, nobody expects him to race beyond his peak years. He will not pursue the sport into his 40s in the way that Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have done.
Verstappen wants to test himself racing in other formats. If Red Bull’s struggles continue, an exit clause in his contract is likely to be triggered later this season.
It would not be a huge shock if he left at the end of the year. Taking a break for a year or two, before then coming back refreshed, could well be an option. A sabbatical.
But one thing’s for sure. If Verstappen does walk away, after being spoilt by years of success when his car was vastly superior, it wouldn’t be a good look.
He wasn’t complaining about the rules and regulations back in the glory days, was he?
