Max Verstappen has called on F1 to make a big change to the race schedule.
The 2026 Formula 1 calendar was planned to have 24 races spread over 39 weeks, making for a busy season. But now, Max Verstappen has suggested a big change to this schedule.
Originally, races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were set, but they had to be canceled because of the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran. This pause gave drivers a break in April, letting them either rest or join other racing events.
Lance Stroll, for example, took part in the GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard during this break. Max Verstappen also raced outside F1 in May when he joined the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Now, Max has said he wants to race in the Spa 24 Hours too, but only if it doesn’t clash with his F1 races. Both events happen this weekend.
This weekend, Max will be aiming for his first F1 win of the season in Austria with Red Bull. Still, he’ll be watching his former Mercedes teammates Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Chris Lulham closely as they race at Spa.
Verstappen said: “I’ll try to watch as much as I can. The car is racing with the drivers, so I’m very involved. I wish I could race at Spa too. I’ve already told them next year it would be great if the Spa race didn’t fall on the same weekend as a Formula 1 race. Spa is an amazing track – a 24-hour race with only GT cars is something really special.”