Mar.20 (GMM) Max Verstappen has headed to the Nordschleife in search of “fun” as his frustration with Formula 1’s new era continues to grow.
The Red Bull driver, who has been openly scathing of the 2026 regulations, admitted before leaving Shanghai that he is no longer enjoying himself in F1 – and was only looking ahead to his trip to the Nurburgring.
“Hopefully I’ll have a little more fun with that, because this is not nice,” he told Viaplay, referring to his GT3 program.
“This (F1) doesn’t make you a cheerful person, to be honest.”
When interviewer Chiel van Koldenhoven joked that Verstappen’s mood was also not much fun for viewers, the Dutchman replied simply: “I’m doing my best.”
Verstappen also welcomed the chance to talk about something other than Formula 1.
“At least here you can talk about other things than Formula 1,” he said.
The four-time world champion is set to race at the Nordschleife on Saturday, marking the next step in his confirmed plan to contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours later this year in his own Red Bull-backed Mercedes AMG GT3.
“Definitely, a lot,” he said when asked how much he is looking forward to the weekend.
“Certainly with how things are going here now.”
With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races cancelled, Verstappen could even add further Nurburgring outings to his schedule, although nothing more has been confirmed.
The contrast with his Formula 1 campaign is stark.
Red Bull is currently struggling for pace and reliability, and Dutch motor racing figure Tom Coronel doubts Verstappen will even win a race in 2026.
“If he does, it’s only because others make very big mistakes or because Red Bull suddenly finds something,” he said.
“The deficit is really too big.”
Even within Verstappen’s extended circle, there is acknowledgement that his frustration is closely tied to his current lack of competitiveness.
“If Max had been in the Mercedes, he would have been as quiet as a mouse,” said Nelson Piquet Jr, the brother of Verstappen’s partner Kelly.
“He wants to win every race. That’s Max.”
Verstappen’s retired mentor Dr Helmut Marko, meanwhile, revealed the 28-year-old’s fascination with the Nordschleife goes back years – including a plan to run a Formula 1 car at the circuit that was ultimately blocked.
“Max had seen Timo Bernhard’s record lap and I think he wanted to beat it,” Marko told f1-insider.com.
“That was too dangerous for me, so I forbade it.”
Now, Marko is relieved Verstappen is pursuing the challenge in GT3 machinery instead.
“Luckily he can now let loose on the Nordschleife with the Mercedes GT3,” he said.
The Dutchman will return to Formula 1 action in Suzuka next weekend – though the mood around his season remains far from optimistic.
Former driver Christian Danner even scoffed at the pre-season claims made by Toto Wolff that Red Bull could dominate in 2026.
“No, dear Toto, that was nonsense, of course,” he told motorsport-magazin.com.
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