Stefano Domenicali believes Max Verstappen will remain in Formula 1 for the 2027 season despite the four-time world champion’s dissatisfaction with the new regulations, his car and developments inside Red Bull. The Dutchman’s future nevertheless remains one of the biggest questions hanging over F1, with any decision he makes potentially having consequences across the entire driver market.
Few subjects have generated more discussion during the 2026 Formula 1 season than Max Verstappen’s future. His frustration with the new technical regulations and the resulting generation of cars is well known, while Red Bull’s own form and internal changes have added another layer of uncertainty.
Max Verstappen’s 2027 future clouded by Red Bull concerns
Max Verstappen is enduring an inconsistent season by his standards. He has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with some of the developments inside Red Bull, including the departure of several prominent figures who played important roles during the team’s most successful period.
Among them is Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, whose future move from Milton Keynes to McLaren has already been confirmed. Their partnership has been one of the most recognisable driver-engineer relationships of the modern Formula 1 era.
Above all, Max Verstappen, now racing with number 3, is unhappy with the level of performance available from his car. He can no longer push it in the way he would like or consistently extract its limits, with its behaviour proving particularly difficult to manage on Saturdays compared with Sundays.
Even so, there are still influential figures who expect him to remain on the Formula 1 grid next season. The latest developments surrounding the four-time champion can be followed through the Max Verstappen news section.
Stefano Domenicali believes Verstappen will stay in F1
Rumours surrounding Max Verstappen have repeatedly suggested that his future could lie away from Red Bull. Speculation linking him with Toto Wolff’s Mercedes now appears to have cooled, but other possibilities have continued to circulate during the season.
One scenario has involved a potential move to McLaren, where Max Verstappen could theoretically replace Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri and eventually reunite with Gianpiero Lambiase. Another possibility discussed around the paddock is that Verstappen could step away from Formula 1 altogether and concentrate on other forms of motorsport.
His passion for GT racing is well established. Max Verstappen demonstrated that again in 2026 when he took part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, underlining that his motorsport ambitions extend beyond Formula 1.
Despite those possibilities, Stefano Domenicali believes the Dutchman will still be on the F1 grid in 2027. The Formula 1 CEO has spoken extensively with Max Verstappen this year, including discussions over the regulations and the changes intended to improve the championship from next season.
“We’ve discussed it and I think he appreciated the changes and what the future of the category will be,” Stefano Domenicali said, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport. “I think he’s in a situation where he still loves the sport. I have an incredible relationship with him.”
Domenicali points to positive feedback on 2027 F1 changes
Formula 1 is preparing further adjustments for 2027, including a rebalancing between the combustion and electrical elements of the power unit regulations. Domenicali believes feedback from drivers who have already experienced the changes in simulators has been encouraging.
“Those who have already tried the changes in the simulator have said that we’re going in the right direction,” Stefano Domenicali added. “We mustn’t forget that, in order to change the regulations, the teams and manufacturers have to agree.”
Those discussions are particularly relevant given Max Verstappen’s criticism of the current generation of Formula 1 cars. His comments have repeatedly placed him at the centre of the wider debate over how the championship should evolve.
How important is Max Verstappen to Formula 1?
Stefano Domenicali’s comments also raise a broader question about Max Verstappen’s importance to Formula 1. The Dutchman has repeatedly voiced his unhappiness with the direction of the championship during 2026, although some of his remarks have appeared less severe as the season has progressed.
Domenicali has previously made another point clear: Formula 1 itself does not depend on the presence of any one driver, even a four-time world champion. The championship existed before Max Verstappen and would continue if he eventually chose to leave.
At the same time, Formula 1’s determination to involve a driver of his stature in discussions over its future demonstrates how much his opinion matters. Max Verstappen offers enormous sporting and commercial value and has attracted a vast following of supporters, with the famous orange army now filling grandstands at circuits across Europe.
That support is set to be particularly visible at Zandvoort, where Max Verstappen has already unveiled a special helmet for the final Dutch Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen may not be indispensable to Formula 1 in a literal sense, but he remains one of the defining champions of the current era and a figure many fans instinctively associate with the sport. He is also one of the drivers most capable of imposing his own style on a car and allowing his personality to stand out in a championship that has become increasingly standardised in many areas.
Verstappen decision could reshape the 2027 F1 driver market
For now, the major unanswered question remains where Max Verstappen will be in 2027. If Stefano Domenicali is correct and the Dutchman remains in Formula 1, the most likely outcome would currently appear to be another season with Red Bull.
That would also keep one of the most desirable seats on the grid occupied, with other drivers potentially interested in the opportunity should it become available.
Carlos Sainz is one of the names facing an important decision about his own future. The Spaniard must assess whether to continue with Williams or consider another project, while reports have suggested that Carlos Sainz could have a contractual route out of Williams for 2027 if the right opportunity emerges.
Whatever Max Verstappen ultimately decides, his choice is therefore unlikely to affect Red Bull alone. A departure, switch of teams or decision to remain where he is could all influence the availability of seats elsewhere and trigger a chain reaction throughout the 2027 Formula 1 driver market.
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