Verstappen handed five-word piece of advice as F1 future doubts grow

The four-time world champion made his stance clear once again in Japan, openly voicing his dislike for the new regulations and showing he is far from a fan of the current rules.

Shortly after the race, speculation began to circulate that the Dutchman is seriously considering retiring at the end of the season.

Speaking to the BBC, Hill suggested that the threat of leaving Formula 1 would ultimately lead nowhere unless it is used as leverage to put pressure on the FIA and push through the changes being demanded: "I think if you're not happy doing something then you can stop and do something else. I mean I don't think that we should feel obliged to do it.

When asked about a potential appearance in NLS3 on April 11, the Dutchman ruled it out, explaining that his team will be racing at Paul Ricard on the same weekend, making it impossible to take part.

However, he appeared more open to competing in the Nurburgring 24h qualifiers on May 24-25, noting that Auer is currently the only confirmed driver in the car.

With Juncadella and Gounon unavailable, he suggested it would make sense for him to step in rather than leaving Auer to handle everything alone.