F1 is better off without Max Verstappen if retirement stops him joining Mercedes

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Max Verstappen retiring would clearly be a devastating blow to Formula 1, but it would simultaneously be preferable to seeing the Dutchman at Mercedes.

Verstappen hasn’t yet made up his mind on his F1 future, but there’s a genuine chance he quits F1 at the end of the 2026 season if he feels that the sport hasn’t corrected its course. He fundamentally does not enjoy driving the new generation of cars.

There are three possible outcomes: Verstappen retires, he stays in F1 as a Red Bull driver or he moves to another team.

F1 should welcome rumoured Max Verstappen retirement if it keeps away from Mercedes

In a recent interview, Toto Wolff appeared to rule out Mercedes signing Verstappen. But his words must be treated with scepticism given his long-standing determination to land the four-time world champion.

Yes, Mercedes have a rising superstar in Kimi Antonelli and one of the top drivers on the grid in George Russell. But F1 teams are ruthless, and neither of those drivers have the same status as Verstappen – an all-time great.

If Wolff was presented with a genuine opportunity to land Verstappen – the performance-based exit clause in his Red Bull contract will almost certainly be active this year – it’s difficult to imagine him turning that down.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen will have a three-month window to use Red Bull release clause if 2026 woes persist

With Verstappen in the car, Mercedes would be as close to unbeatable as they could possibly get. They have already started the season with a half-second advantage over Ferrari and McLaren.

Yes, McLaren and Ferrari have shown glimpses of promise, but it took seven years for rivals to catch up the last time Mercedes started a ruleset in such a dominant fashion.

Even if they can close the gap in a fraction of the time, Verstappen is single-handedly worth multiple-tenths of performance. Based on his historic dominance in 2022 and 2023 at Red Bull, this would be a cheat-code combination.

Most experts regard Verstappen as the best driver on the current F1 grid, so it would undeniably rock the sport to its foundations if he left due to dissatisfaction with the regulations. His absence from the supposed pinnacle of motorsport would hang over every race weekend until such a point that he returned.

But ultimately, what matters most is entertaining racing and a compelling battle at the front. That makes the biggest difference to TV ratings and revenues.

If those pillars are in place, F1 could survive without Verstappen. But if he joins Mercedes and wins virtually every single race – a highly plausible scenario – it will be difficult for the sport to attract new fans.

As a sport, F1 is clearly better off with Verstappen. But if he decides only a dominant package can keep him on the grid, then it may not be a price worth paying – precisely because he’s so good.