Ex-Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has recommended a break from the sport for Max Verstappen following his explosive comments about potentially walking away.
Verstappen said after the Japanese Grand Prix — the latest disappointment to start his 2026 season — that he is considering quitting at the end of the year due to his dislike of the new regulations and cars.
That would be two years before the end of his Red Bull contract, with Verstappen having previously said he would weigh up his future in 2028 rather than any earlier.
And Hill, the 1996 world champion, believes the four-time title winner may need to step away.
“I think if you’re not happy doing something, you should stop and do something else,” Hill said on the BBC. “You’re not obliged to do it.
“Max doesn’t have to do this. He’s a new dad as well, and he’s been doing it for a long time. There does come a point where the chewing gum loses its flavour a bit. Maybe he needs a break.”
Verstappen has been fiercely critical of the all-new regulations on 2026, which — focused on deployment of electrical power — have revamped the way drivers race, overtake, and find speed.
The Dutchman has said he has had talks with the FIA about potential changes, and implied on Sunday that they would help him remain in the sport.
“They know what to do,” Verstappen said.
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But Hill added: “If he’s saying this in order to get some leverage on the way things are at the moment, I don’t think that will work.
“I think that approach … people will just say ‘Max, go away, come back when you’ve had a think about it.’
“You can’t always get what you want.”
F1 now has a five-week break between races due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, with the next event in Miami on May 1-3.
