Damon Hill says F1’s ‘share price’ would tank if Max Verstappen left the sport

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Damon Hill has warned that Max Verstappen’s exit from Formula 1 would cause severe damage to ‘share prices’ as he considers his future in the sport.

The Red Bull driver has made no secret about the fact that he detests the new regulation cycle. He does not like the way the grid must drive the new cars and is calling for changes from the FIA.

The sport’s governing body has addressed complaints from drivers and teams and will trial new adjustments at the Miami Grand Prix. Despite the changes, Verstappen’s ‘prayers’ are still unanswered, as he wants drastic improvements to the rules.

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Verstappen has threatened to retire from F1 at the end of the 2026 season. He is free to leave Red Bull through an exit clause in his contract, and speculation is growing that he could take a sabbatical from the sport and partake in other categories.

The four-time champion is seriously considering his future in F1, and Hill has warned of the damaging effects his exit would have on the sport.

Damon Hill warns Max Verstappen’s F1 exit would damage ‘share prices’

Verstappen has between August and October to activate his exit clause at Red Bull. If things do not improve with the regulations in 2026, he could decide to walk away.

Speaking on The Undercut via The Race, the 1996 F1 champion says the sport’s ‘share prices’ would tank if Verstappen decided to leave.

“If Max was to say, ‘Listen, I’ve had enough, I’m off. Gianpiero’s left, everyone I was with at Red Bull have left and I don’t like these cars. I’m going to go do whatever,” he said.

“This was always the massive fear with Bernie. That’s why he made it… he sort of strangled all the other rival formulas, because he didn’t want the competition. There was nowhere else to go.

“But now there is Le Mans cars, there’s Indy cars, whatever. He could do something radical and scarper, at least for a bit. And then that presents enormous problems for the marketing of F1, doesn’t it?

“And people will ask why. ‘Why? What’s wrong? Why doesn’t he like it? The best driver in the world, let’s say the biggest name or the most demanded talent, decides, two fingers to F1. That would not go down well with the share price.”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Where would Max Verstappen go if he decides to stay in Formula 1?

If Verstappen decides to stay in F1, many are questioning whether he will continue with Red Bull. The Milton Keynes outfit have had a poor start to 2026, scoring just 16 points and sitting sixth in the standings after three races.

Verstappen has long been linked with an exit from the team, especially after several key figures have left in recent months. Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is the latest, with the Brit heading to McLaren in 2028.

Johnny Herbert does not think Verstappen will retire and will instead sign for either McLaren, Ferrari, or Mercedes. However, McLaren boss Zak Brown has no intention of changing his current driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Brown would ‘bet’ on Verstappen joining Mercedes if he were to leave Red Bull. The Silver Arrows have been linked with the Dutchman since 2024, but with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli fighting for the 2026 championship, they would surely not want to make a change.