Martin Brundle said it is \u201cgetting a bit boring\u201d hearing Max Verstappen question his Formula 1 future, and he feels Verstappen would agree. If he wants to leave, \u201cgo, or stop talking about it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Verstappen<\/a> is \u201cdoing quite a lot of damage\u201d with his public approach to criticising F1 2026, says Brundle, who claims that Michael Schumacher would have first done his metaphorical throat-grabbing behind closed doors. Brundle doubts that Verstappen would actually quit Formula 1, as long as he ends up back in a competitive car. Verstappen has insisted that his complaints are independent of Red Bull\u2019s struggles.<\/p>\n Martin Brundle tells Max Verstappen: \u2018Go, or stop talking about it\u2019<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Verstappen has made it known that he is not a fan of this new Formula 1 era, which places a major emphasis on battery harvesting and deployment.<\/p>\n After the Japanese Grand Prix, he issued his clearest warning yet, by confirming that he is contemplating quitting Formula 1<\/a> after the 2026 season.<\/p>\n The topic of Verstappen\u2019s future was discussed on Sky F1\u2019s latest \u2018The F1 Show\u2019 podcast.<\/p>\n Sky F1 lead commentator David Croft said he does not believe Verstappen\u2019s words to be \u201cempty threats at all\u201d.<\/p>\n Verstappen has stressed that his complaints come from a lack of enjoyment from this F1, and have nothing to do with Red Bull\u2019s difficult start to the season.<\/p>\n The likes of Carlos Sainz and reigning World Champion Lando Norris, also feature among the drivers to have criticised this ruleset.<\/p>\n \u201cThe drivers\u2019 love and comments are directly proportional to how their cars are going at the moment,\u201d Brundle claimed.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t say that in a negative or flippant way, because they\u2019re all hardwired to win, but it\u2019s quite clear that if your car is rubbish and you\u2019re not anywhere near the front, you\u2019re more vociferous than those that are at the front.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen has been the most outspoken, and Brundle was similarly fierce in his assessment.<\/p>\n \u201cMax is very unfiltered. He always has been. He\u2019s talked a lot, for a long time, about, \u2018I\u2019m not in this for the long haul. I\u2019m not going to be hanging around here in my 40s\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Max would say it\u2019s getting a bit boring now. I think it\u2019s getting a bit boring with what he\u2019s saying.<\/p>\n \u201cEither go, or stop talking about it.<\/p>\n Latest on Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Max Verstappen F1 future in doubt as Jos fears loss of motivation<\/a><\/p>\n Max Verstappen\u2019s inspired solution to force F1 2026 rule changes<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBecause it is what it is, you\u2019ve got to make the most of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI would hugely miss his talent. His generational speed and car control is something that very few people in the history of motorsport have had. It\u2019s quite extraordinary.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that, given they [Red Bull] were building their own powertrain for the first time, that his management would have put in an exit clause at the end of this year to see how it goes.<\/p>\n \u201cMercedes are saying, \u2018No, there\u2019s no place at this particular inn at the moment\u2019. So, quite what he would do. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody\u2019s indispensable in this business. I\u2019ve seen a number of amazing people come through this sport and are no longer with us, or moved on and have done something else, and the sport carries on. The great Murray Walker would be one of them.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this goes for any of us. The minute we stop, people will be talking about whoever\u2019s doing the job next. There are any number of Antonellis, Bearmans, Lindblads out there who would do the job incredibly well for one per cent of the money.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the sport will just move on if Max decides to go.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s sort of doing quite a lot of damage meanwhile.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think we all appreciate that\u2019s how Max rock and rolls.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be surprised if he\u2019d really walk away from it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to be at the Nurburgring. I\u2019ve done that in the paddock. It\u2019s 150 cars on the track or so. He\u2019ll find the 24 hour race quite challenging, quite sketchy. But he\u2019s got his own team. He loves that. He loves his sim racing.<\/p>\n \u201cDo I think he\u2019d just walk away from F1? No, I don\u2019t. Providing he can get a car that pleases him.<\/p>\n \u201cHis points are brutally made, but actually well made, that this is just wrong at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, what a Schumacher would have done is close the door, thumped the desk, metaphorically got hold of the right people by the throat, walk out, and with a smile, go, \u2018Everything\u2019s fine\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then if they don\u2019t sort it out, which we\u2019re looking forward to for Miami, then you start going on to the media.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s not how he does things. So that\u2019s emptying my mind on the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n Formula 1 and the FIA will hold a series of meetings through April to discuss potential tweaks to the regulations before the season resumes in Miami.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n