How Max Verstappen Became A Nightmare For F1

Max Verstappen is turning into Formula 1's biggest problem and not because he's winning. He's a four-time world champion stuck in a car he says is "completely undriveable," and he keeps telling everyone the 2026 rules are broken. The strange part? The sport doesn't really seem to need him happy anymore. We go back to 2024, when Max won the title even though Red Bull dropped to third as a team. We look at how the team fell apart — Adrian Newey leaving, Jonathan Wheatley gone, Will Courtenay poached by McLaren, and Christian Horner getting sacked mid-season with the team way behind. We relive 2025, when Max lost the title to Lando Norris by just two points. Then comes 2026 and the big new rules active aero, no more DRS, a brand-new Red Bull–Ford engine, and tight budget limits that stopped Red Bull from spending their way out of trouble. The result: a car Max can't drive, can't finish, and openly hates — in a formula the sport is already trying to move away from. At the same time, a teenager named Kimi Antonelli is winning everything in a Mercedes that suits the new rules perfectly. Just like that, F1 has a new hero right when the old one starts causing trouble. And then there's Max's way out: sim racing, his own Verstappen.com Racing team, his Nürburgring runs, and a possible Le Mans deal with Ford. Is Max about to walk away from Formula 1 for good? Or will his team fix the car just in time? Well, today we'll find out!