Verstappen offers biggest clue yet on F1 future amid 2027 rule shift

Max Verstappen may not have formally committed his future to Formula 1 – but in Montreal, the four-time world champion delivered perhaps the clearest signal yet that the sport’s looming engine rethink could persuade him to stay exactly where he is.

After months of frustration, criticism and increasingly pointed warnings about Formula 1’s direction, Verstappen suddenly sounded far more optimistic as discussions intensify around major power unit tweaks planned for 2027.

And in typical Verstappen fashion, the message came wrapped in equal parts approval and caution.

Verstappen sees ‘very positive’ shift

The proposed regulation adjustment would shift Formula 1’s current near-even split between combustion and electric power closer to a 60-40 balance in favour of the internal combustion engine – a move the Red Bull driver has openly pushed for ever since concerns emerged over the future driving characteristics of the next-generation cars.

Having repeatedly criticised the current direction of the regulations – and even hinting earlier this season that he could eventually walk away from Formula 1 over the issue – Verstappen now appears encouraged by the sport’s willingness to reconsider.

“It’s definitely heading into a very positive direction,” said the Dutchman, who is under contract with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2028.

“It was the minimum I was hoping for and I think it’s really nice that that’s what they want to do. It’s definitely what the sport needs.”

The comments immediately raised fresh intrigue around Verstappen’s long-term future – particularly after he spent much of the early season sounding increasingly disillusioned with Formula 1’s evolving identity.

Could the rule changes keep Verstappen in F1?

When directly asked whether the proposed changes improved the likelihood of him remaining in Formula 1, Verstappen’s response was revealing.

“Yeah definitely. I just want a good product in Formula 1 and that will for sure improve the product,” he said.

“What I said before with the changes that will happen hopefully next year, that will help a lot, because I’ve always said it doesn’t matter if I have a good car or not, it’s just the product.

“I think the product will improve like that and naturally then the enjoyment will go up.”

For months, Verstappen has insisted his concerns were never purely about competitiveness or championship machinery. Instead, the Dutchman has repeatedly framed the debate around driving enjoyment and the broader spectacle of Formula 1 itself.

Now, with the FIA and Formula 1 appearing willing to soften the electric-heavy philosophy of the current regulations, Verstappen suddenly sounds far less like a driver eyeing the exit door.

‘Almost back to normal’

Still, Verstappen stopped short of offering an outright guarantee over his future, carefully leaving himself room to manoeuvre.

“It will make the product better, so that means that I'm happier and that's what I want to be able to continue in Formula 1.

“I'm not ‘yes or no’, it doesn't matter. For me, I'm happy where I'm at, the team is really progressing and that's also very exciting to see.

“I always wanted to continue anyway but I always wanted to see change and I think the change that's coming now is definitely very, very positive - or I would say almost back to normal. So that's good.”

• Read also: Red Bull sees Montreal as ‘another good test’ of RB22 progress

That final phrase – “almost back to normal” – may prove especially significant. For a driver who has often criticised modern Formula 1 for drifting too far from pure racing principles, the proposed changes appear to have struck directly at the heart of his concerns.

But Verstappen also made clear that his optimism comes with one major caveat: none of it matters unless the changes survive Formula 1 politics.

“That's why we have to wait and see until it's fully confirmed,” he cautioned. “But that definitely needs to happen.”

And with teams, manufacturers and governing bodies all still negotiating the finer details behind closed doors, Formula 1 now finds itself in an intriguing position.

Because if the sport truly wants to keep its biggest star fully invested in its future, Verstappen has just made the price of that commitment abundantly clear.

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