Max Verstappen gets major F1 rule change he wanted as Red Bull future remains uncertain

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen will finally get the major rule change he has so desperately craved, amid conversations about the Dutchman’s racing future.

Verstappen and Red Bull have endured a difficult 2026. The four-time Formula 1 champion is placed sixth in the 2026 rankings, having failed to secure a single race win all year.

In pursuit of a fifth Championship, the Dutchman has managed just 109 points, four podiums, and dealt with difficulties both in the car, and with the car.

Red Bull’s decreased competitiveness has arrived with a series of new chassis and power unit regulations, which Verstappen has been highly critical of — notably, the increase to the hybrid system’s electrical element.

The current rules see a near 50:50 ratio split of electrical energy used for F1, however, the Dutchman has been a key proponent in trying to see this walked back in 2027 and 2028.

The 28-year-old’s criticism perhaps became taken more seriously within the sport after a significant crash from Oliver Bearman in Japan prompted minor rule changes ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

The controversial regulations introduced for Formula 1’s 2026 Championship have been branded dangerous for drivers, and Verstappen has taken a sizable step closer to seeing the changes he craves.

Will Max Verstappen be in F1 for the long haul?

Formula 1 will be moving to a 58:42 ratio split of electrical energy in 2027, and aims to see it at 60:40 by 2028 — the latter being the minimum that Verstappen wants.

Speaking to the press, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, revealed that he has talked with the Dutchman about the walking back of these controversial regulations.

Verstappen’s concerns are lengthy: the current ratio promotes unnatural driving techniques, there’s too much electrical deployment, and a 60:40 split is the minimum that he would be content with.

F1 responded with the aforementioned split adjustments, staggered across the next two years, an increase in combustion proportion, and revised power characteristics.

Domenicali told F1 media outlets, ahead of the split being 58:42 for the 2027 Championship: “For the drivers that have already driven the change [for] next year on the simulator, [they say] that it’s going in the right direction.

“And also, with Max, we discussed that,” confirmed the F1 CEO. Domenicali was fast to remind fans that these upcoming changes are not purely down to or because of Verstappen.

“Don’t forget that there is a governance in place that, to change regulations, teams and manufacturers need to be in agreement with the position of the FIA and [Formula 1 Management].

“We wanted to be even more aggressive on [the 58:42 split], but [it] was the teams that accepted that,” he continued. The decision to stagger the walking back of these regulations throughout two years in 2027 and 2028 was made to offset costs.

Verstappen will see the minimum split he is content with in 2028, which the F1 CEO believes will make him “very happy”, amid rumours that the Dutchman could exit the sport.

Despite those whispers, Domenicali believes the 28-year-old is here to stay for the foreseeable, noting that he loves Formula 1 and is excited for his future.

“I have an incredible relationship with him,” confessed the CEO. “Formula 1 is big enough for him to be part of us but, of course, he will decide the future the way he prefers to, and the sport will look ahead.

“We are discussing together his future, and the regulations for the future. My opinion is that Max will stay with us, and I really hope [he does],” concluded Domenicali.