History shows Max Verstappen's 2027 F1 sabbatical could land another title

GPBlog understands that the four-time world champion could step away from the sport next season amid Red Bull’s struggles before returning at a later date.

Verstappen has suggested as much in multiple interviews, saying racing under the current engine regulations next season is ‘not mentally doable’.

On top of that, Red Bull’s performances haven’t been up to scratch, with the most recent paddock rumours claiming he held talks with McLaren over a team swap.

There were also his flirtations with Mercedes last year, which team principal and CEO Toto Wolff confirmed before Verstappen clawed himself back into the title fight.

Yet with Verstappen increasingly unhappy with the rules on top of his car’s performance, a year out in 2027 remains a possibility, and it’s not exactly unusual.

So we deemed it time to look at the history of F1 sabbaticals and why it could prove wise, or folly…

Formula 1 legend Alain Prost is on the same number of titles as Verstappen, but that may not have been the case without his sabbatical.

In 1991, the Frenchman lost his drive at Ferrari and took a year out rather than rushing straight back at a lesser team.

He found himself at Williams after that break, and it proved a genius move, winning his fourth of four titles on his return, proving that it’s sometimes better to wait.

While Niki Lauda is best known for his brief break after his 1976 horror crash at the Nurburgring that left him permanently scarred, it was a two-year break in 1980 and 1981 that Verstappen could learn most from.

Uncompetitive at Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham in 1979, Lauda sounded a lot like 2026 Verstappen when he said he was ‘bored of driving around in circles’.

He stepped away mid-season to focus on his airline business, but was tempted back in 1982 with a big money offer from McLaren (hello parallels).

There, he won his third of three titles, proving that getting away from the F1 grind can be wise.

One of the most recent cases of an F1 sabbatical was Kimi Raikkonen, who became Ferrari’s last champion in 2007 but found himself surplus to requirements in 2010 when Fernando Alonso was signed.

Not to worry, though; the Finn was already rallying in his spare time, much like Verstappen’s current endurance ventures in GT3.

He competed in WRC for the next three seasons along with NASCAR before being tempted back to F1 in 2012.

Raikkonen showed he certainly still had it with a race win and third-place championship finish in a Lotus in 2012, before a further victory the following year.

In 2014 he returned to Ferrari to back up Sebastian Vettel and despite another third-place in 2018, some would argue he overstayed his welcome, a mistake it’s hard to imagine Verstappen making.

He spent 2019 to 2021 at Alfa Romeo, where he often got ratty with the media over his perceived lack of passion.

Taking a sabbatical doesn’t always work out, and the most recent example may serve as a warning to Verstappen.

The Dutchman hugely admires Fernando Alonso, so he’ll be well aware of his missteps after 2018.

The two-time champion in 2005 and 2006 never managed his third title despite three second-place finishes at Ferrari who he left for McLaren in 2015.

That decision proved disastrous and ended with Alonso leaving Formula 1 at the end of 2018.

Like Verstappen, the Spaniard has plenty of hobbies outside of F1 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and World Endurance Championship.

However, since returning to F1 in 2021 with Alpine he hasn’t come anywhere near another championship let alone a race victory.

Alonso doesn’t just represent a poor example of an F1 sabbatical, but also the risks of giving up a potentially race-winning car, something Verstappen could certainly be risking by leaving Red Bull for good.