Verstappen Sabbatical Decision Confirmed As Horner F1 Return Blocked

Max Verstappen has given a definitive answer on whether he plans to take a sabbatical from Formula 1.
The four-time world champion has been openly critical of the 2026 regulations and has discussed the possibility of stepping away from the sport.
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is reportedly seeking a return to Formula 1, but those efforts have hit a significant obstacle.
Horner’s primary route back into the sport appeared to involve joining a group looking to purchase a stake in Alpine, though those hopes have now been described as ‘vetoed’.
Max Verstappen’s team-mate has publicly defended the Dutchman after a former F1 team boss directed criticism at the four-time champion.
Verstappen has been vocal about the 2026 regulations since before the season began, stating that the new cars are ‘not fun’ to drive once the championship was underway.
An F1 champion has revealed ambitions to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie.
The Valkyrie hypercar made its Le Mans debut in 2025, with the 009 car and 007 car finishing in 12th and 14th respectively during that race.
Nico Rosberg has spoken out about the divisions within Mercedes during his title rivalry with Lewis Hamilton, claiming one team chief tended to favour his team-mate.
The Hamilton versus Rosberg rivalry is considered one of modern Formula 1’s greatest battles, beginning in their childhood and playing out publicly between 2014 and 2016.
Two drivers were immediately banned from further participation in the GT4 European Series weekend at Monza following a brawl involving security personnel.
French drivers Hugo and Thibaut Mogica, representing team CMR, became involved in a physical altercation with security that included the use of pepper spray, prompting officials to suspend them from the second race and ban them from all restricted areas at the event.
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