Max Verstappen warned he would be stepping back ‘light years’ if he quits F1 for GT3

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Max Verstappen has been warned against a permanent switch to GT3 racing, as the sport is still ‘light years’ behind Formula 1.

The four-time champion is seriously considering walking away from F1 at the end of 2026, having expressed huge dissatisfaction over the regulations changes. Red Bull are worried about Verstappen retiring due to the candidates available to replace him.

The Dutchman has been linked with other teams in the paddock, such as McLaren and Mercedes, but retirement is still very possible. Verstappen has been venturing into other categories in 2026 and exploring his interests away from F1.

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Max Verstappen told he would not suit the GT3 paddock compared to F1

Verstappen competed at the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring in 2026, as well as other GT3 races at the ‘Green Hell’. His performances impressed the paddock and many experts, and he is planning to make further appearances.

In fact, Verstappen has asked to leave a gap in F1’s 2027 calendar to allow him to race in future GT3 events.

Verstappen said GT3 is ‘2,000 times better’ than F1 at the Canadian GP, expressing just how much he detests the new regulations cycle. It leaves the question as to whether he would make a permanent switch to the series.

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But former F1 driver Christian Danner has warned against Verstappen doing so. He says that GT3 is still ‘light years’ behind F1, and the paddock would be ‘different’ for the Red Bull driver.

“GT3 racing is fantastic motorsport, I love it, but it’s light years away from Formula 1 and there’s no comparison,” he said via Motorsport-Magazin. “The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a one-off event. That’s great. But when he races at Oschersleben or the Lausitzring, that’s different.

“These are great racetracks. But the atmosphere is a bit different. I enjoy it there, but I think it will be a bit different for someone like Verstappen.”

If you were Max Verstappen, would you stay at Red Bull or move on?

Verstappen has been linked with McLaren, but could also retire or take a sabbatical

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Rumours about Verstappen’s future will rage on for some time. His links to Mercedes will always be there amid Toto Wolff’s interest for many months, but Danner thinks a Verstappen-Antonelli combination would not be a good one.

“He could get whatever he wants there,” he said. “But I simply can’t imagine Toto Wolff putting his protégé Antonelli alongside Max Verstappen. That would suddenly make things rather uncomfortable – not just for Antonelli, but also for Toto Wolff.”

Ferrari are off the cards with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton locked in for 2027. Danner added: “Then only McLaren remains. And they’re struggling at the moment. Quite honestly, I think they’ll stay and try to make it work.”