Verstappen says Alonso alone decides when to stop
Ben Sulayem wants to talk Alonso into staying on the grid. Verstappen thinks that is nobody else's call, and doubts the 2027 rules will fix what is annoying him.
Max Verstappen says Fernando Alonso should not be persuaded into extending his Formula 1 career, as the Spaniard continues to blame the current regulations for making him consider walking away.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has openly said he wants to convince the 45-year-old to stay, but Verstappen believes the decision belongs entirely to Alonso.
"In the end, he has to decide for himself," he said in Madrid.
"No one has to persuade him. Of course I like to see him go on, but it's also a question of whether you can be competitive and if you like it."
Verstappen said if Alonso continues to remain frustrated, staying would ultimately be the wrong move for the two-time champion.
"If it's just annoyance, it's not doable at some point," said the Dutchman.
"It's not gonna be a lot of fun. Because he is world champion, he can decide for himself when he will stop."
Alonso's frustration was again obvious in Madrid, where he argued that the battery-heavy 2026 cars remove too much driver influence even at spectacular corners such as La Monumental.
"It's sad, in a way, with this generation of cars, to arrive at such a beautiful circuit as this, with challenges here and there, like the La Monumental corner," said Alonso.
He amusingly used his press officer Michael Clayton as an example.
"It can't be that Michael is faster than Max Verstappen just because he has more battery," said Alonso.
"Because turns 10, 11 and 12 are so incredible that Verstappen should be able to make a difference there compared to Michael. And at the moment, that's not the case."
Alonso wants a faster fix
Alonso says he is speaking regularly with both Ben Sulayem and Stefano Domenicali because he believes F1 cannot simply wait for a major rules reset.
"We cannot wait until 2031 to have a sport at the appropriate level," he said.
Verstappen, though, is sceptical that the scheduled rule changes for 2027 will be enough to transform Alonso's negative experience.
"Well, I don't know. I don't think much will change," he said.
Related: Alonso now hints at a role beyond the cockpit
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That goes without saying & the tweaks for next season will considerably improve matters.