Stefano Domenicali has made a direct appeal to Max Verstappen, urging the reigning champion to stay in the sport and not let emotions dictate his future.
The comments come at a tense moment for Formula 1, with Verstappen openly critical of the incoming 2026 regulations. Across the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, the Dutch driver even hinted he could walk away from the sport altogether if concerns aren’t addressed.
Max Verstappen has a lot of dissatisfaction with the proposed power/engine regulations introduced in 2026, and also with the early races this season, as he’s found these new regulations have already caused many problems for qualifying laps and closing speeds.
There have been talks amongst F1, FIA, teams and drivers during the April break about how to fix these problems as quickly as possible.
The immediate fix is that the battery recharge levels will be lowered from 8MJ to 7MJ starting with the Miami Grand Prix. The goal is to prevent excessive lift-and-coasting due to too much “super-clipping”.
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Although the battery change is a positive thing, this change doesn’t adequately address the other issues that drivers like Max Verstappen have brought up.
Stefano Domenicali Steps In
With speculation growing over Max Verstappen’s long-term future, Stefano Domenicali confirmed he has personally spoken with the four-time world champion and made his stance clear.
Stefano Domenicali told Autosport, “It is natural that in a country that is 99% Max fans, [they are] the ones that are closer to him, which is absolutely understandable. But we are a worldwide sport; we have over 800 million fans.”
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“And therefore, we need to remember that the dimension that we have is huge.”
“That’s why I really want to say officially, please, don’t try to take any kind of negative confrontational approach, because it doesn’t help the sport.”
“It doesn’t give any value for me. I mean, if people would love to see this kind of chitchat, this is what we don’t need, because it’s not good for the sport.”
“Max is a four-time world champion. He’s an incredible driver, one of the best for sure, maybe the best. I personally really hope that he can stay.”
“I’m sure that, you know, the adrenaline you can find in Formula 1 is unique, and therefore I really hope that he will stay. But I cannot say more than that.”
“And that’s why, as I said, try to be constructive, even if sometimes people in certain situations can be dragged into certain emotional dimensions, which are not the things that we need for our sport.”
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A Crucial Phase for F1
Max Verstappen’s comments have added weight to an already sensitive transition period for Formula 1.
The sport is balancing innovation with driver satisfaction, all while trying to maintain its competitive edge and global appeal.
Losing a driver of Max Verstappen’s calibre would be a major blow, not just competitively but commercially, and Stefano Domenicali’s remarks reflect that reality.
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