Marko critical of F1 but says sport will find ‘new star’ if Verstappen leaves

Since the start of the 2026 season, Verstappen’s F1 future has come under increasing speculation. Not only has a difficult RB22 and high-profile departures - including his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren for 2028 - put Verstappen’s Red Bull future into question, but discontent with 2026’s ‘Mario Kart’ rules of racing has some wondering whether the Dutchman could leave F1 entirely.

After the Japanese GP, Verstappen himself weighed up whether racing under the 2026 rules was “worth it.” Tweaks have since been made to not only the current rules at the Miami GP, but 2027 will also see F1’s 50:50 split between internal combustion and electrical power move closer to 60:40 in favour of the former.

Red Bull may have made progress over the April break, as seen in Verstappen’s P2 qualifying finish in Miami, but the Dutchman still expressed dissatisfaction with the rule tweaks, saying: “You still need to go a bit slower in places to go faster. It's still not how I would like to see it. It's still punishing you.”

Verstappen’s unhappiness with F1 2026 also comes as he increasingly features in endurance racing. The Dutchman is taking on the Nurburgring 24h race this weekend, and has been tipped to one day participate in WEC races such as Le Mans. Red Bull are also said to be eyeing up McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the event of Verstappen’s potential departure.

Regardless of whether Verstappen leaves F1, his close friend Marko believes it would be a “great loss” for the sport, but that F1 would be able to cope in his absence. Marko told Sport.de: “Max’s departure would certainly be a great loss, but that’s how it is in sports. When someone leaves, a new one comes along and becomes the star. But it’s not just about whether Max likes it. It’s about racing.”

This is when Marko’s attention turns to F1 2026 itself, with the 82-year-old concerned that “pure racing” will not be possible with the current regulations. The cars' need for energy management has led to multiple complaints from drivers regarding qualifying, racing and safety.

Marko has also weighed in on the 2026 rules, more specifically the tweaks made for the Miami GP: “What has been initiated in the short term is far from sufficient to get the premier class back on track. To what extent we can achieve a return to pure racing, I don’t know.”

After just four rounds into the 2026 season, the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem claimed V8 engines could make their return to F1 as early as 2030, something Marko is eager to see. “The sooner it comes, the better,” he said.