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Max Verstappen has never been someone who keeps his thoughts to himself, and the 2026 regulations have given him a lot to think out loud about. Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert have heard enough.
Shut Up and Race
In the Stay on Track podcast, Hill asked the question directly: "Max Verstappen. Should he just keep quiet and drive?" Herbert didn't need long to think about it. "In many ways, yes. It's always great when you're in the best car. It's always a bit of a struggle when you're not. He hasn't had a bad career so far. There are still plenty of things he can achieve in Formula 1, maybe another world title, or perhaps three."
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Hill admitted that diplomacy has never been Verstappen's specialty. "It's not really his thing, is it?" Herbert laughed: "You think?" But Hill also sees the value in how Verstappen operates. "It's good that you always get a straight, honest opinion from him. He says what he thinks." The issue is how it lands right now. Verstappen sitting eighth in the championship, with a Red Bull still searching for its 2026 form, changes how those words are received. "Because he doesn't have a car he can win with right now, it sounds like he's complaining about that rather than talking about the formula itself."
It is the same Verstappen who was refreshingly direct when he was winning titles. The words have not changed. The situation has.
F1 Needs Verstappen to Stay
Hill made a broader point that goes well beyond the debate about radio manners. Formula 1 cannot afford to lose Verstappen. "As a spokesperson for what F1 drivers want, that will be taken into account. What Formula 1 does not want is for Max to decide to leave and find his thrills elsewhere. That would be a vote of no confidence in Formula 1 and the direction the sport is heading."
Verstappen has made no secret of the fact that his future is not unconditionally tied to the sport. With endurance racing, MotoGP, and other options available to a driver of his calibre, the possibility of him walking is not entirely theoretical. The 2026 rules have already created friction across the paddock. The last thing Formula 1 needs is its biggest name looking for the exit.
Hill and Herbert want him quieter. The sport just needs him to stay.
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