‘Sources close’ to Max Verstappen say Martin Brundle is wrong about his retirement threats

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It appears Max Verstappen’s renewed threat to retire from Formula 1 if the regulations don’t change in 2027 has caused a panic among officials.

Coming into the weekend, Verstappen praised the FIA’s decision to amend regulations heading into 2027, hinting that it would be enough to convince him to stay in Formula 1.

However, after reports emerged that certain teams opposed the 2027 regulation change due to the issues it would create for them in terms of planning, the Dutch driver felt the need to double down.

Max Verstappen makes a U-Turn on his recent retirement stance. Do you think he said it to force Formula 1’s hand?

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Verstappen reiterated that he would not stay in Formula 1 if the regulation change were to be blocked, in an attempt to put pressure on officials.

And it appears Max Verstappen is not trying to play a ‘political’ game, as the Red Bull driver is very serious about walking away from Formula 1 if the proposed rule change is blocked.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen claims Red Bull still haven’t addressed issue he brought up ‘a few years’ ago

Max Verstappen’s ‘political ploy’ debunked as insiders confirm serious intent to retire amid frustration

According to Jon Noble of The Race, sources close to Max Verstappen suggest that his recent comments doubling down on possibly retiring are not part of a strategic move.

Verstappen is reportedly ‘dead serious’ about walking away from Formula 1 if the recent proposed rule change is blocked by manufacturers and teams.

While Honda are surprisingly on the fence over this matter, Audi, Mercedes, and Cadillac are reportedly strongly against this rule change being implemented in 2027.

In particular, Audi’s concerns are about how this move could drastically change their plans heading into the 2027 season.

Any expectation that Verstappen finding success under the current regulations with a P3 finish at the Canadian Grand Prix appears to have fallen flat.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen saw Lewis Hamilton save his race ‘at the last moment’ on Canadian Grand Prix grid

Does Max Verstappen need to make up his mind?

He has once again threatened to quit F1 if the rules aren't changed for 2027

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Martin Brundle thought Max Verstappen’s podium finish would soften stance on current regulations

Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix on Sky Sports, Martin Brundle suggested that Max Verstappen’s podium finish in Montreal would give him pause on his harsh stance on the new regulations.

“I think so (result will change his mind). That’s a great result for Red Bull powertrains as well, isn’t it, and the team. Max is just trying to put pressure on the system because it was agreed, it seems, changes for next year…

“And then a couple of manufacturers started to back out of that. There’s a bit of a pressure going on. That’s got to be decided quickly, because that involves fuel tanks, ICE, batteries and all sorts of things. If they’re going to do that, they need to be knowing now.”

There is the possibility that part of Verstappen’s comments are aimed at Red Bull to try and put them under more pressure to improve their car.

Clearly, Verstappen is not playing any games when it comes to the new regulations and where he stands on it, doing everything in his power to try and get the FIA to treat the matter with more urgency.

For what it’s worth, Noble’s report added that there is a far greater emphasis on getting the regulation change for 2027 approved in short order to avoid further speculation on Verstappen’s future.