The four-time world champion has been one of the most vocal critics of the 2026 rules since pre-season testing, and his dissatisfaction continued after the opening round in Australia.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen acknowledged the situation remains frustrating but insisted he is not planning to walk away from the championship.

“Yeah, I don’t really want to leave,” he said.

“Like I said, I wish I had a bit more fun, for sure. But I’m also doing other stuff that is a lot of fun.

“I get to race the Nordschleife, and I hope in the coming years I can do Spa-Francorchamps, hopefully Le Mans, you know.

“So I’m combining stuff to find other things that I really enjoy as well.

“Of course, [I have] my team going on, so I have a lot of distractions at the same time—positive distractions, I would call them.”

Verstappen’s comments follow a week in which it was confirmed he will make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for his Verstappen Racing outfit.

The Dutchman has increasingly explored opportunities in sports car racing alongside his F1 commitments, and admitted those projects help offset some of the frustrations he has felt with the current generation of cars.

“But at the same time, it’s a bit conflicting, because I don’t really enjoy driving the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well.

“So, yeah, it’s almost like a bit of a mind… Can’t swear it’s a 5k [fine],” he joked.

The Red Bull driver has repeatedly criticised the characteristics of the new regulations, particularly the heavy emphasis on energy management that has shaped racing in the opening round of the season.

That dissatisfaction led to questions over whether Verstappen could eventually consider stepping away from the sport if the direction of the rules remains unchanged.

While reiterating that he does not want to leave F1, he also made clear he hopes improvements can be made.

“So no, I don’t want to leave. But I also hope, of course, that it gets better.”

Verstappen revealed he has already held discussions with Formula 1 and the FIA about the situation, with the hope that adjustments can be made to improve the racing.

“I’ve had discussions with F1 and the FIA, and I think we are working towards something hopefully, and hopefully that will improve everything.”