Verstappen sends warning shot to Red Bull… and to Formula 1

Max Verstappen delivered a blunt assessment of Red Bull’s current struggles after a frustrating Japanese Grand Prix, warning the team its current trajectory is “not sustainable” as deeper concerns over Formula 1’s new regulations continue to simmer.

After a shock Q2 exit left him 11th on the grid, the four-time world champion could only salvage eighth place at Suzuka, spending much of the race trapped behind Pierre Gasly.

The result capped a bruising weekend for the Dutchman, who cut a visibly disillusioned figure once again post-race.

“I don’t think it was very good. Yesterday was a disaster, today in the race I just maximised my race,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

“The feeling in the car is exactly the same as qualifying, I’m just trying to hang onto it basically, in the race.”

‘Not sustainable’ and searching for answers

With a month-long break looming, Verstappen made clear the focus must shift urgently to understanding the RB’s troubling balance issues.

“I will do some more racing, some stuff that makes me smile,” he said.

“At the same time speak to the team as well to try and find some more pace and more stable balance because this is not sustainable for us as well for a team.

“We really need to work hard to understand our problems and of course bring improvements.”

Yet while Red Bull’s form has dipped, Verstappen insists the root of his frustration runs deeper than car performance alone.

Frustrations linger as F1 future is questioned

While unimpressed with his Sunday drive at Suzuka, the Dutchman also took aim once again at Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, suggesting they are undermining the very essence of racing.

“You can have a bad balance but of course that doesn’t take away from how we have to race and in general the whole system,” he explained. “I commented on that already a few times.

"That is the limitation and I think a lot of drivers are speaking out on it. That is of course the biggest one for me.

“Of course I would like to win, but I can also accept if I’m driving P7. It’s just the way I’m driving to P7, with the systems and everything, is not a lot of fun.”

Perhaps most strikingly, Verstappen hinted – like he did on Saturday after qualifying – at a broader internal reckoning about his future in the sport.

• Read also: Verstappen nearing breaking point with F1 – must figure out ‘life here’

"That's what I'm saying. I'm thinking about everything inside this paddock," he told BBC Radio 5 Live when asked if he could quit F1.

"Privately I'm very happy. You also wait for 24 races. This time it's 22. But normally 24.

“And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you're not enjoying your sport?”

For a driver long defined by relentless competitiveness, the words carry weight. At Suzuka, frustration wasn’t just about one race – it felt like a warning shot about the direction of both Red Bull and Formula 1 itself.

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