George Russell says it would be understandable if Max Verstappen followed through on his threat to retire from Formula One, acknowledging the Dutchman has achieved everything in the sport.

Amid a torrid start to the 2026 season, which has seen sweeping changes to power unit rules and introduced smaller cars, Verstappen has hinted he could walk away.

The four-time world champion made that claim after finishing eighth at last month's Japanese Grand Prix, a result that left him ninth in the drivers' standings after three races.

Verstappen has been highly critical of F1's regulation changes, likening the sport's new look to Mario Kart and calling it "Formula E on steroids." 

Ahead of the season resuming on May 3 in Miami, Russell was asked about the long-term future of Verstappen, with whom the Mercedes driver has clashed in the past.

Now sitting second in the standings, Russell argued Verstappen's complaints stemmed from the fact he is no longer dominating the grid, but also said his rival has nothing left to prove. 

"Formula One is bigger than any driver, but you wouldn't want to lose Max, because I think we all enjoy racing against Max," Russell said.

"And it's all just part and parcel of Formula One. I didn't enjoy driving the 2022 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody's backs. The car was big, it was heavy. The high-speed corners, it wasn't very pleasant to drive around.

"But he didn't have the same complaint because he was winning. Now, the complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, because we're at the front end of the grid. And this is only natural.

"And you do understand and recognise the frustration. But he's achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning a championship. He's got four of them.

"At the end of the day, I guess you get to a point in life where there's not really much more for him to achieve in Formula One. He's ticked all the boxes.

"Maybe he can go after the records, but knowing him as I do, and knowing drivers who have achieved similar things, at one point you want to do what puts a smile on your face."

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Red Bull suffered another blow this week as Verstappen's chief race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, confirmed he will join McLaren as chief racing officer in 2028.

And when asked about that move at an event in Amsterdam, Verstappen said it was a no-brainer for Lambiase. 

"He told me what kind of offer he received," Verstappen said. "I said, 'You would be stupid not to do that. We have already achieved everything together.' 

"And then he gets such a great offer, also with his family in mind and the security it would give him. He asked me for a sort of permission, and I said that he absolutely had to do it. He really wanted to hear that from me."