Max Verstappen says he was ‘counting down the laps’ at Japanese Grand Prix as he considers F1 future

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Max Verstappen says he couldn’t wait for the Japanese Grand Prix to end after spending another race fighting in the midfield. Verstappen eventually crossed the line eighth at Suzuka.

It has been another miserable weekend for the four-time world champion, who retired from the Chinese GP last time out. Verstappen suffered a shock Q2 exit on Saturday as Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar got the better of him.

Verstappen dispatched Hadjar early in the race and ultimately gained three positions, but he couldn’t clear the stubborn Alpine of Pierre Gasly after a prolonged tussle. He heads into the break ninth in the standings with only 12 points.

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Max Verstappen reflects on miserable Japanese Grand Prix

After the race, Dutch broadcaster Viaplay asked Verstappen if the race felt endless. He replied: “I was actually counting down the laps! 15 laps to go, only 10 left, five laps left.. come on. Yeah, it’s over.”

Verstappen has repeatedly made clear that he is no longer enjoying the driving experience in the 2026 F1 cars. He says this is unrelated to Red Bull’s present struggles.

Onboard footage appeared to show Verstappen waving at Gasly when the Alpine driver passed him on the main straight, mimicking Fernando Alonso’s gesture in China.

Max Verstappen has openly questioned his F1 future – What are Red Bull’s chances of him driving for them in 2027 out of 10?

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Confirming that this was intentional, Verstappen said it was a reflection of his powerlessness.

“Yep, all of a sudden you go 50 km/h slower,” he explained.

Verstappen has compared this year’s cars to ‘Mario Kart’, likening the battery surges to power-ups in the popular video game.

‘Life isn’t just Formula 1’ – Max Verstappen says he will consider F1 future

Verstappen told the same outlet that he will consider ‘what exactly I want for the future’ in the long gap between Japan and Miami at the start of May.

Last weekend, he took part in another GT3 race at the Nurburgring, bagging a comfortable victory before his team were disqualified for a rule breach.

Verstappen says he will consider his racing future privately, even if he has expressed his doubts about F1 in public. His Red Bull contract runs until the end of 2028.

“Oh well, life goes on,” he said. “Life isn’t just Formula 1. There are other things you can do.” “[If I’m going to stay in F1] then it has to remain fun.”