Jenson Button has spoken out about Max Verstappen and the possibility of his retirement at the end of 2026
The relationship between Max Verstappen and modern-day F1 has never truly taken off. Following the Dutchman’s numerous jibes aimed at the F1 circus, safety regulations, and the 2026 cars in general, many have speculated about a possible paddock departure for the four-time World Champion as early as the end of this year.
While George Russell recently commented negatively on Max’s outbursts, Jenson Button has also weighed in over the last few hours. The former McLaren and Brawn GP driver (the car with which he won his sole World Championship in 2009), a highly respected voice in the paddock, expressed his views on the matter.
Button’s Words and Max’s Choice
Speaking to Sky Sports UK, the 2009 World Champion began: “I think this will be his last ‘stint’ in Formula 1. I don’t think he’ll take a year out and then come back. I don’t think that’s the Max I’ve come to know.”
“Personally, he doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who takes a sabbatical. He either races or he doesn’t. If he wants to quit and do something else, that could be fun too.”
Doubts about Max’s continuation in F1 are naturally fueled by two other factors: his increasingly constant presence in the GT racing world (having raced this weekend in Germany, at the Nürburgring) and the departure from Red Bull of Gianpiero Lambiase, his race engineer since 2016.
Button focused specifically on this last point: “Just a few weeks before the announcement that Lambiase would be going to McLaren, Max had said: ‘I can’t imagine racing without him by my side’. But it’s 2028, there are still two years to go. We’ll see, but it’s exciting; there is a lot to look forward to in the driver market over the coming years “.
