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Max Verstappen did not hold back about his struggles with Red Bull and the new regulations as he finished down in P8 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Things were not going well for the Dutchman from the moment he stepped into the paddock at Suzuka. Verstappen kicked out a reporter from his media session on Thursday, and had another spat with a journalist after the race.
Was Max Verstappen right to kick out a reporter during his press conference?
Last year, the reporter asked Verstappen if his Spanish GP move on George Russell cost him the title.
The four-time champion could only manage eighth at the Japanese Grand Prix. Saturday did not help, as Verstappen was knocked out in Q2, but the RB22’s lack of pace damaged his race, as he spent most of it behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen finished 32 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli, while Isack Hadjar, who outqualified his teammate, finished in 12th. F1 teams agree that Red Bull’s power unit is strong, yet the team are struggling in other areas.
Max Verstappen estimates Mercedes are a ‘full second’ ahead of Red Bull
Journalist Ronald Vording spoke to Verstappen after the Japanese GP, and the Red Bull driver admitted that his team are a ‘full second’ behind Mercedes, who have won all three races so far in 2026.
“Both drivers said after qualifying, ‘Yes, we don’t actually fully understand the problems yet,’ and that’s step one. You have to understand what’s wrong before you can fix it,” he said via Motorsport.com Nederland.
“So I asked Mac that too. I said, ‘Yes, how confident are you that you can make good use of that break?’ Because, well, your first step is to really get to the bottom of things.
“And then he said, ‘Yes, that’s true, but I’m still confident that we can make progress.’ He said, ‘We have a lot of data to analyse. We have data to correlate, because if the correlation isn’t quite right yet.‘
“So he said, ’Of course, there are no miracles. It’s not going to magically work out in one go in Miami.’
“He estimated the gap to Mercedes at a full second per lap, and that’s certainly not going to disappear just like that in Miami. But he said, ‘I am confident, however, that we can at least take some steps forward before Miami.”
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Will Max Verstappen quit Red Bull?
The Dutchman’s frustrations were clear to see at Suzuka, and it was the clearest indication that he could leave Formula 1.
Verstappen was ‘counting down the laps’ in Japan as he is finding no enjoyment from the new regulations. He admits he is considering his future in the sport, with an exit clause in his Red Bull contract that can be activated in 2026.
If Max Verstappen retires from F1, who should Red Bull sign as his replacement?
There have even been suggestions that Verstappen could take on an ambassador role at Red Bull and quit mid-season. The 28-year-old has other interests outside of F1, having recently returned to the Nurburgring for a GT3 race.
Verstappen is set to meet with Stefano Domenicali to discuss changes to the rules. He clearly cares about the sport and wants to improve the racing on the track, but he is having doubts about his long-term future.
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