Wolff is optimistic that Verstappen will not walk away, as the Dutchman raises questions about his future.

      Toto Wolff expressed his hope that Max Verstappen will not leave Formula 1, as there are increasing indications that the Dutch driver is losing his motivation. The four-time world champion appeared extremely disheartened after qualifying at Suzuka, where both Red Bull's difficulties and Verstappen's frustrations regarding the 2026 regulations have been intensifying.

      "I am not even frustrated anymore. I am beyond that," Verstappen stated. "I can't find the right word in English for it. I don't know it in Dutch either. There’s no word. There are many things for me to sort out personally." When asked for clarification, Verstappen replied, "Life ... life here."

      These comments come as Verstappen grapples with two significant issues: his dissatisfaction with the new, demanding rules and a Red Bull car that is currently uncompetitive. Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, acknowledged the situation while speaking to Sky Deutschland. "Max is certainly an emotional person. For him, driving pleasure is the most important thing. It’s easy to imagine that he’s not experiencing that right now. It would be unfortunate if we were to lose Max from Formula 1 entirely. However, we are content with our two drivers and have no plans for changes."

      Verstappen also indicated that his future might hinge on how the sport evolves. "Much depends on how they decide what will happen next year," he said. "When I'm in the car, I aim to give it my all, but in the current Formula 1, I cannot do that and I am not enjoying it. If you’re away from home for so long, you hope to at least find enjoyment in what you do."

      While he seeks enjoyment through GT racing, Verstappen suggested that even that may not suffice in the long run. "Yes, I will try to find joy in other racing endeavors," he noted, almost confirming his return to the Nordschleife before the next grand prix in Miami. "But after a while, even that won’t be enough."

      Verstappen also addressed the media controversy at Suzuka, justifying his choice to ask a journalist to leave his press session. "If you don’t show me respect, why should I show you respect?" he remarked. "I’ve been in Formula 1 long enough to discern who has good intentions and who does not. If you’re laughing at me like that, it’s clear you don’t have good intentions."

      With Red Bull struggling and the regulations continuing to spark differing opinions, Verstappen cautioned that the season could become very challenging for him if things do not improve. "I hope that the month-long break before Miami leads to some changes. If we keep going like this, the season is going to feel extremely long with the issues we have."