SUZUKA, Japan — Four-time world champion Max Verstappen suggested he could quit Formula One at the end of the season after enduring another frustrating race on Sunday in Japan.

The Red Bull driver finished eighth in Suzuka, ending his four-year reign as Japanese Grand Prix champion in ruthless fashion.

He told the BBC that he was "not enjoying the whole formula behind "this season's championship, which has seen the introduction of sweeping new regulations.

Verstappen has repeatedly railed against the new regulations, that see a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.

He labeled his car "undrivable" after qualifying in a lowly 11th place for the Japan race.

When asked if he could walk away from the sport, he replied that he was "thinking about everything inside this paddock".

"It's really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it's just not what I want to do," he said.

"And, of course, you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great.

"But at the end of the day, it's not about money anymore, because this has always been my passion."

Verstappen sought a change of scenery by competing in a four-hour race in Germany before the Japanese Grand Prix.

He will not compete again in F1 until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races scheduled for April were canceled because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

When asked how he would fill his time during the break, Verstappen answered: "I'll do some more racing, some stuff that makes me smile.

"And, at the same time, speak to the team as well, to try and find more pace and some more stable balance, because this is not sustainable for us as a team," he added.

Verstappen is in ninth place in the championship standings, 60 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes after three races.

He finished sixth in the season opener in Australia and retired from the Chinese Grand Prix because of a cooling issue.

"I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that's not really the case," he said.

"Privately I'm very happy," Verstappen told the BBC after the race."You also wait for 24 races — this time it's 22, but, normally 24 — and then you just think: 'is it worth it?'Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you're not enjoying your sport?"

The 28-year-old Verstappen said "That's what I'm saying" when asked by the BBC if this could be his last season.

"Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team, it's like a second family, but once I sit in the car, it's not the most enjoyable, unfortunately.

"I'm trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it.

"It's just very hard."

Verstappen is just one among several drivers struggling after some of the most significant regulation changes in F1.

"I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am," he said. "Because I also know that you can't be dominating, or be first or second, or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I'm very realistic in that, and I've been there before. I've not only been winning in F1.

"But, at the same time, when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to a racing driver," he said.

Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, said he had plenty of pursuits beyond Formula One to keep him engaged.

The Dutchman recently competed in a race at Germany's Nurburgring, taking on its fearsome Nordschleife layout in preparation for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race in May.

He also drove a Japanese GT car at Japan's Fuji racetrack ahead of the weekend in Suzuka.

"But it's a bit sad, to be honest, that we're even talking about this. It is what it is. You don't need to feel sorry for me. I'll be fine," he said.

Verstappen had won the last four races from pole in Japan, but it would have taken a major upset for that streak to continue in 2026, with a sixth-place finish in the Australian season-opener in Melbourne still his best result of the campaign so far.

He has also made headlines for a clash with a British reporter, an incident that also raised questions about his general state of mind.

Prior to the weekend's race Verstappen ordered Guardian journalist Giles Richards to "get out" of a scheduled media event after objecting to a question he asked last year."I'm not speaking before he's leaving," Verstappen said as the session was due to begin.

Richards had asked whether losing to McLaren's Lando Norris by two points for the title had led him to regret colliding with George Russell at the Spanish GP, earning a time penalty which cost the Dutch driver valuable points.

Verstappen told BBC Radio 5 Live that the sport's bosses "know what to do" to make sure he stays.

F1 stakeholders are set to meet in the five-week break between Japan and the next race in Miami to take stock of the new rules and consider tweaks.