Ralf Schumacher: “F1 is bigger than Verstappen. If he retired, nothing would change”

Will Max really retire? At the end of the recent Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen gave a long interview to the BBC, where he spoke in detail about his state of mind after the first races of 2026. The Dutch champion’s is not a simple discontent with the lack of competitiveness of Red Bull, but it is a deep frustration resulting from a regulation that is taking all the fun out of driving. Ralf Schumacher on Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast does not believe in the retirement intentions evoked by Max: “Being in F1 is something special. Of course, he can always say that he has had enough. But try to find an alternative: a GT car – however beautiful – weighs 1.4 tonnes and is a completely different story. And then there is the possibility of traveling around the world, challenging the best drivers in the world. I can’t imagine that he could give up all this so soon”. “F1 is bigger than Verstappen” Ralf Schumacher, while admitting his esteem for Verstappen, reminded him: “Formula 1 is bigger than any of us. Whether it’s Bernie Ecclestone or any driver, if they were no longer there tomorrow what would happen to F1? To put it without beating around the bush, if Max Verstappen retired, it would be the same thing. If he no longer wants to race in Formula 1, he will take note of it and Red Bull will look for a new driver.” The former German driver of Jordan, Williams and Toyota then wondered Red Bull’s reaction to Verstappen’s words: “His statements are not correct towards Lotus, because they will ask themselves: ‘But is he giving his all to get us out of the mud?’. Max must be careful”, concluded Ralf Schumacher.