Jos Verstappen provides update on Max’s F1 future after Gianpiero Lambiase exit

Following the seismic news that Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull for McLaren, albeit at the end of the 2027 F1 season, the Dutchman's father, Jos, believes his son will "just continue" racing in the championship.

That prediction cuts against years-old comments from the four-time drivers' champion, who said in 2021 that he would stop when Lambiase did.

Expanding on his rationale for anticipating that the younger Verstappen will continue in F1, the former Benetton, Simtek, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, and Minardi driver believes that the FIA and Formula 1 making changes to the new regulations will help convince his son to stay, following the admission that he is considering walking away.

"It looks like Formula 1 and the FIA are going to change the regulations after all," he said to RaceXpress. "What they can do this year will help. But I think everyone, the fans, but also the drivers, are complaining a lot."

The Red Bull driver has been the most vocal critic of the new F1 rules, decrying his lack of enjoyment and branding the era "anti-racing" amongst other things.

The FIA, F1 and its teams are meeting throughout April to address elements of the regulations that could be refined, to improve both on-track action and safety.

On tweaking the current rules, Verstappen Snr. added: "For Formula 1, it's also good if they can get that done, but I think they know very well what they have to do."

Unenthused by F1

It is not just the 28-year-old who is struggling with the new rules set, with his father also unenthused by what he sees. 

"As a driver, I don't enjoy it as much either," the two-time podium finisher stated. "Occasionally, I have gone to watch, and then I just turn off the television because it interests me less.

"It's not the Formula 1 that Formula 1 stands for, where a lot is demanded of the driver.

"Now it's more of an engineering competition where the driver has to lift a lot, and they can't make the difference as a driver anymore. I think that's a shame for Formula 1.

"You have to brake late, but then again you can't brake too late. Especially in fast corners, that's where you have to be able to make the difference, like in the first sector in Japan, for example."

Like his son, Verstappen took aim at the power unit rules, which place an emphasis on energy management due to the 50/50 split between electric and internal combustion power.

"I just think that as a driver you have to be able to make the difference, but that's not possible with this car and certainly not with the battery that you have to constantly recharge," he explained.

"It's crazy that GT3 is a nicer race than Formula 1. Normally, it was always the other way around. All those GT3 guys were incredibly eager to feel what Formula 1 is like. Nowadays, that is far from the case."