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2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg has had his say on whether Max Verstappen will retire from the sport amid the Red Bull star’s threats.
Despite F1’s changes to the ruleset ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen’s opinion on the new generation of regulations has largely remained the same.
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During his media duties, the Red Bull star noted that while the amendments were a ‘tickle in the right direction’, he is hoping for more substantial changes to take place before the 2027 campaign rolls around.
Fernando Alonso shared a similar sentiment to Verstappen in wanting bigger amendments for next year. The Dutchman’s qualms have fuelled rumours of an early exit from the sport, with Nico Rosberg becoming the latest paddock figure to give his opinion on the matter.
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Nico Rosberg still sees Max Verstappen ‘very hungry for victories’ in F1
During a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rosberg offered his thoughts on whether the Dutchman will opt to take a leave of absence from the F1 grid at the end of 2026.
The German former driver is well-known for his rapid retirement from the sport at the end of 2016, following the clinching of his first world title in the sport.
Some saw Rosberg’s move as a potential sabbatical from the sport, which has been tipped for Verstappen, but the 40-year-old has since ceased racing altogether.
Here’s how the championship standings look after the Miami GP! 🏆
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On the topic of Verstappen, Rosberg said, “Max has many passions in the world of motorsport, GT and beyond, and this gives him the opportunity to think of retiring from Formula 1 as a less scary thing.
“Also, thanks to the fact that, at just 28 years old, he has already won four world titles. He has many paths ahead of him, perhaps even stepping away from F1 for a few years and then returning.
“But, I don’t know if this is the case because at the same time, I see Verstappen very hungry for victories, so I think he’ll ultimately choose to continue.
“He’ll also have to think about who to do it with: stay with Red Bull or try to move to another team to have a better chance of winning the title again?”
- READ MORE: Max Verstappen sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ after impressive Miami Grand Prix qualifying
Max Verstappen returned to full form at the Miami GP despite time penalty
The enthusiasm for competing at the front of the grid was on display by Verstappen at the most recent round of racing in Miami.
Having qualified on the front row for the Grand Prix alongside pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli, the four-time world champion looked to have got off to a good start before a 360 on the exit of turn two hindered Verstappen’s attempts at claiming a podium.
His overall pace looked strong, even if there was still a clear deficit to Red Bull’s frontrunning rivals of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.
A late duel between himself and George Russell saw both of them leapfrog Charles Leclerc at the chequered flag, with the Ferrari driver ending up as the biggest loser due to damage on his car.
Verstappen was subsequently awarded a five-second time penalty following the conclusion of the race for crossing the pit lane exit line earlier in the race, but it didn’t have an effect on his position in the final classification.
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