RacingEddie Irvine says Formula 1 doesn’t need Max Verstappen. He made the point as the four-time champion ramps up talk of walking away over the 2026 rules, which will lean harder on electric power. The pushback from former drivers came fast, and it was blunt.
Verstappen’s criticism has been loud since pre-season, when he called the future cars “Formula E on steroids.” After the Japanese Grand Prix he told BBC Sport he is “thinking about everything inside this paddock” and weighing whether carrying on is “worth it.” That raised the stakes around a debate the FIA and teams say is already locked in: more electrical output, less drag, and a new fuel era.
Irvine, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, answered by saying there are “plenty of talented drivers” and that Formula 1 “doesn’t need Max.” He argued Verstappen will find it “tough… to find himself in the middle of the pack,” then pointed to the size of his pay packet, saying a salary north of €50m gives him “good reasons” to stay put.
On the Up To Speed Podcast, David Coulthard said he does not see the FIA changing course because one driver threatens to leave. He praised Verstappen as a generational talent but made clear the sport is bigger than any individual, even if losing him would hurt. It was a calm counterpoint that still carried the same message: the regulations are not being rewritten on the basis of one voice, no matter how loud or decorated.
Martin Brundle went shorter and sharper. The Sky Sports F1 pundit told Verstappen to either leave F1 “or stop talking about it.” His comment reflects a growing impatience among veterans who value drivers speaking their minds but want the public ultimatums to end.
Verstappen’s stance focuses on how the 2026 cars will harvest and deploy energy, and how that changes the racing he signed up for. He has not softened his language, and his timing after Japan underlined that he is not shelving the argument. The FIA and Formula 1 leadership have defended the direction as the next step for performance and efficiency, with teams already invested in development.
What this episode shows is a divide between a dominant current star who dislikes the path ahead and former drivers who believe the championship must hold its line. Irvine framed it in simple terms: the show goes on with or without one name. Coulthard echoed the scale of the loss while underlining the same point. Brundle cut to the chase. The ball, as they all see it, is in Verstappen’s court.