McLaren Insider Admits F1 Will Fail If Max Verstappen Quits
Former McLaren Racing chief mechanic Mark Grain has revealed that it will be a failure on the part of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the organization as a whole if Max Verstappen walks away from the sport. Verstappen has voiced his frustration about the new technical regulations on several occasions since the start of the 2026 season, even going to the extent of saying that he would rather spend time with family and friends than do something he doesn’t enjoy doing anymore. The new regulations that came into effect this season have caused nearly all drivers to express their displeasure, since they are forced to slow down on certain sections of the race track to harvest energy for their batteries that produce 50% of the car’s power.
The four-time world champion got to the point of questioning whether it was worth racing for the rest of the 2026 season. When asked after the Japanese Grand Prix if he was going to part ways with the sport, Verstappen said, as reported by MotorBiscuit : Read More from MotorBiscuit: FIA Warns Against Rushing 2026 F1 Rule Changes After Oliver Bearman’s 50G Crash Miami Grand Prix IMAX Ticket Pricing Revealed for Formula 1 Fans in 2026 Jos Verstappen Opens Up About his Son Max Verstappen’s F1 Future Amid Race Engineer Exit ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 07: Gianpiero Lambiase, Head of Racing of Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 07, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202512070140 // Usage for editorial use only // “That’s what I’m saying.
I’m thinking about everything inside this paddock. “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? ” Max Verstappen Has Several Reasons to Quit F1 Not only that, Red Bull’s struggles with the current RB22 F1 car, and several high-profile team member exits in the last year, with Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, announcing his 2028 exit, are factors that could influence Verstappen to quit.