MONTREAL, Canada -- Max Verstappen has said he is less likely to quit Formula 1 at the end of the season now the sport is targeting changes to its engine regulations for 2027.
Following the third round of the year in Japan, Verstappen said he was considering quitting F1 at the end of 2026 as he no longer enjoys driving the latest generation of cars.
The four-time world champion has been one of the fiercest critics of F1's 2026 regulations, which introduced power units with a 50/50 split between combustion power and battery power, labelling them "anti-racing" and like "Mario Kart."
F1's rule makers have reacted to driver concerns by coming to an "agreement in principle" that targets a reduction in battery power and a new formula with a 60/40 split in favour of the internal combustion engine.
"It's definitely heading into a very positive direction," Verstappen said of the proposal. "I think it's like the minimum I was hoping for and I think it's really nice that that's what they want to do. That's definitely what I think also the sport needs."
Asked if it would convince him to stay in F1 next season, the Red Bull driver, who has a contract until 2028, added: "Yes or no, it doesn't matter. For me, I'm happy where I'm at.
"I see the team really progressing, and that's also very exciting to see. For me, I always wanted to continue anyway, but I always wanted to see change, and I think the change that's coming now is definitely very positive.
"Or at least, I would say, almost back to normal. So that's good."
Verstappen has made a slow start to the 2026 season, leaving him seventh in the standings and without a podium finish from the first four races. But he reiterated that the decision over his future was always linked to the regulations and not his competitiveness.
"It was just depending on the future rules," he said. "So what I said before, with the changes hopefully that will happen next year, that will already help a lot.
"Because I've always said it doesn't matter if I had a good car or not. It's just the product and I think the product will improve like that. So naturally I think then the enjoyment will go up as well."
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Verstappen has made no secret of his desire to race in other series outside F1, and last weekend achieved his ambition of taking part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in a GT3 car.
Sharing a car with teammates Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, the Verstappen Racing entry was leading the race with just over three hours remaining when a driveshaft failure scuppered any chance of victory.
Verstappen said he enjoyed the experience at the Nordschleife and intends to return to the 24-hour race at the next opportunity.
"I mean, I do feel, of course, that it's a bit of unfinished business," he said. "I want to win it, so I want to go back.
"But, of course, the calendar needs to allow it. It's definitely a race that I want to do more of.
"It's a different discipline. I enjoyed it a lot and it's something that I always wanted to do.
"Outside of Formula 1 there's a lot of other racing that you can do and that one was definitely on my list. If you look at the onboard [footage] you can understand why -- it's brutal and just very exciting."