“He Doesn’t Need Money,” Kevin Harvick says Max Verstappen Could Retire from F1 If 2026 Concerns Are Not Addressed

NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick believes Max Verstappen’s growing frustration with Formula 1 is serious enough that the four-time world champion could leave the series if the sport does not respond. Speaking about Verstappen’s increasingly blunt criticism of the 2026 rule changes, Harvick said, “He’s going to push and if it doesn’t get changed, I think he’s out.”

Harvick also said, “I think if he doesn’t get his way, he doesn’t need money; he doesn’t need to go out and race for money anymore.” The comment landed at a moment when Verstappen himself had already made clear that retirement is not an empty talking point. On March 29 Verstappen said he is considering walking away, with dissatisfaction over the current cars and the direction of the regulations at the center of that thinking.

Harvick treats Verstappen’s frustration as a competitive issue, not just an emotional one. Elite drivers tend to accept losing more easily than they accept a formula they believe undercuts the essence of racing. That is the backdrop to Harvick’s warning: if Verstappen keeps pushing for changes and sees no meaningful response, the exit threat becomes more credible.

The 28-year-old Dutch-Belgian racer has publicly said he is not enjoying what he is doing, and Reuters reported that he has put all options on the table despite being under contract with Red Bull through 2028.

1. Verstappen Has Made It Clear That The 2026 Cars Are The Issue

After the Japanese Grand Prix, the Dutchman said he was considering retirement. Verstappen finished eighth at Suzuka and has had a difficult opening stretch to the season, with his best finish so far being sixth in Melbourne. The F1 racer has consistently insisted his unhappiness is not just about Red Bull’s poor start, but about the character of the cars themselves. When a driver of Verstappen’s stature says the problem is the sport, not just the team, Formula 1 has to treat the criticism differently. A slump can be fixed at the factory. Disillusionment with the racing itself is a much harder problem. The current debate is rooted in Formula 1’s new-era machinery. Verstappen has been unhappy with the balance created by the 50-50 split between electrical power and internal combustion, and his concerns extend to the amount of energy management now required. In his view, the cars have moved away from the kind of driving experience that made Formula 1 compelling in the first place. Formula 1 is now on a break after three races, and Reuters reported on March 30 that the sport has much to ponder as teams and stakeholders assess the early return from the new rules package.

2. Red Bull’s Contract Does Not Settle the Question

On paper, Verstappen’s future should be straightforward. According to previous reports, he signed an extension in 2022 that keeps him with Red Bull through the end of 2028. Normally, that would shut down retirement talk before it gathers momentum. But contracts only matter if the driver still wants to be there. Recent reports made that much clear by noting that Verstappen said all options were on the table. That is why Harvick was not arguing that Verstappen is guaranteed to leave Red Bull or guaranteed to retire. He said that the sport should not dismiss the possibility just because a contract exists. There is also a wider context here. Verstappen has repeatedly spoken about interests beyond Formula 1, including GT and endurance racing, and he is content in his private life even as his relationship with F1 has become more strained. The issue, then, is not whether he has somewhere else to direct his energy. The issue is whether Formula 1 can still convince him that staying is worth it. And if he decides to leave, the question arises, where would he head next? NASCAR?

3. If Verstappen Really Means To Move Away, F1 Might Face a Serious Crisis

Verstappen is not just another top driver threatening to walk. He has 71 career wins, putting him behind only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher on the all-time list. He is one of the defining figures of the modern era, and his presence gives the championship competitive legitimacy as much as commercial value. He is not merely a champion in the statistical sense. He has spent the last several years redefining the standard for week-to-week dominance in the modern grid. From becoming the sport’s youngest race winner to building a title run that turned raw aggression into complete control, Verstappen has evolved from a prodigy into the central competitive force of his generation. That arc is what makes the retirement discussion so striking. Verstappen’s legacy is already secure, but it is also still being written, with every season offering the possibility of more wins, more records and an even stronger claim to a place alongside the sport’s absolute greats. If Formula 1 allows the environment around him to become so frustrating that he no longer sees a reason to continue, it would lose a marquee name. If Formula 1’s biggest star is openly questioning whether he wants to keep doing this, the sport has to reckon with more than optics. It has to ask whether its new regulations are pushing the competition toward a place its best drivers do not actually enjoy. Recent reports over the past two days suggest that concern is no longer theoretical. At the moment, Formula 1 is not dealing with a rumor. It is dealing with a warning.

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