Max Verstappen’s recent appearance at the Nürburgring circuit is causing a stir in the motorsports world. His love for GT racing saw him race at the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie race this Sunday, where he lost his dominant victory due to a team error leading to disqualification.

But that’s not all, now that Verstappen has finally started being vocal about Formula 1’s antics. People are asking him about what comes next. In a recent post released by Autosport, Verstappen answers those questions candidly. It seems that while Verstappen is ready to try other series, he would not want to race in NASCAR, the World Rally Championship, or IndyCar.

“And from my side, I’m of course happy to be in Formula 1 because I’m not personally a big fan of ovals. The street tracks and road courses are good, but nah, I would not be a big fan of oval racing myself.

“It’s just the risk of a big crash is big, and of course I know in Formula 1 there also is risk of an impact, but when you hit a certain wall at 200-plus mph, it’s not enjoyable.”

Clearly, the reason here is more personal than about skill issues. Some years ago, Verstappen explained his aversion to the ovals and IndyCar. While drivers like Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean have tried their luck in the premier American open-wheel series, it is unlikely that Verstappen will ever get behind the wheel of one of its cars.

It is true that on paper, IndyCar and NASCAR look like there are no limits to the speed that the driver can reach. Going flat out on ovals does feel scary, especially considering the risks. Take NASCAR, for example; the sport regularly features spectacular crashes and aggressive driver tactics.

Verstappen’s aversion to these risks is the same reason that keeps him away from NASCAR as well as IndyCar. He does not want to risk his life while trying to prove a point. In his eyes, safety while racing is more important. Arguably, the sports of NASCAR and IndyCar have not had any deaths in such a manner in the recent past.

But to an outsider like Max Verstappen, the safety of slowing down for a chicane is much more comforting. The chicanes ensure that drivers do not carry too much speed in the corners. Whereas on ovals, it is all about throttle control and putting your car in the right spot at the right time.

But why did the four-time world champion decide to skip Formula 1 training for GT racing last Sunday?

Max Verstappen grows increasingly distant from Formula 1

As a four-time world champion of Formula 1, Max Verstappen won his championships during an earlier era of Formula 1. At that point, the sport had not implemented the controversial 50/50 ICE and electric power distribution.

However, ever since the start of the 2026 season, the drivers have been facing a lot of hurdles owing to the ‘electrification’ of the sport.

Max Verstappen is among the biggest critics of the current Formula 1 regulations. He doesn’t like the gimmick of using battery harvesting that the sport of Formula 1 is currently focusing on. After two races this season, Verstappen is bent on shaming Formula 1 for its decisions.

Not only that, he does not hold back from publicly slamming the sport in front of the media. His recent interviews have become bolder as he is also questioning the fans who seem to like the current regulations as they are.

“It’s still terrible,” he said. “I don’t know, if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about. It’s not fun at all. It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.”

While Verstappen is not alone in this, he is arguably the loudest voice in the room. As someone who appeals to the current generation of Formula 1 fans, the Dutchman has a superior fan following in the sport currently. As a result, he is trying to use his voice to make the sport change for good.

His frustrations with the sport, paired with his own team’s shortcomings, are making him switch to GT racing in order to compete in a sport that he enjoys more. His final goal is to race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife this year for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance. 

Verstappen was able to break the lap record at the track last year. But more than that, he has also competed in the online version of the race as a sim-racing enthusiast. This year, he finally wants to try out his mettle at the ‘Green Hell.’ For now, it does seem like he is trying to assess his options in case he wants to switch from Formula 1 to other motorsports.