No singular driver is bigger than the Formula 1 machine, but Max Verstappen comes close. The Dutch 4x World Champion and Red Bull driver is in a lane that few F1 pilots (think: Hamilton , Schumacher, and Senna) ever find themselves in. Since his historic debut in 2015, Verstappen has brought in millions of fans, and their buying power, to the sport. Even despite getting the villain edit by the popular Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive , Verstappen has become a pillar of modern motorsport . Such starpower is great for Formula 1. Except when the driver and the Formula 1 Group (who owns the sport) find themselves clashing often and publicly, such is the case since the 2026 season started. Now, on the eve of the Miami Grand Prix , the tension between Verstappen and the powers that be has gotten so combustible that there are now near daily rumors of the Red Bull driver retiring early. When asked if he’s walking away at the end of the season the 28-year-old Verstappen told BBC Sports, “That's what I'm saying.…