“If things continue like this next year, I will tell my son to leave F1 immediately. I demand that the FIA directly inspect all McLaren cars when they participate in the 2026 season,” Jos Verstappen declared strongly, urging the FIA president to conduct rigorous inspections to prevent cheating in races
Monaco / Milton Keynes, 23 January 2026 – Jos Verstappen, father and longtime mentor of reigning world champion Max Verstappen, has dropped the most explosive threat of the F1 offseason in a blistering press release issued this morning: if the FIA does not immediately implement “rigorous, direct inspections” on every single McLaren car throughout the entire 2026 season, he will personally advise Max to walk away from Formula 1 at the end of next year.
The statement – short, furious, and utterly uncompromising – has sent shockwaves through the paddock, ignited a global firestorm on social media, and forced both McLaren and the FIA into immediate damage-control mode.
Jos Verstappen’s full declaration reads:
“If things continue like this next year, I will tell my son to leave F1 immediately. I demand that the FIA directly inspect all McLaren cars when they participate in the 2026 season. No more hidden advantages, no more clever tricks, no more questions about fairness. Max wins clean or he doesn’t win at all. The FIA president must act – or watch the sport lose its biggest star.”
The timing could not be more incendiary. Lando Norris clinched the 2025 Drivers’ Championship in a dramatic final-round battle against Max Verstappen, ending Red Bull’s four-year reign and handing McLaren its first title in decades. Norris’s victory was built on McLaren’s stunning car development turnaround, superior race pace in the second half of 2025, and flawless execution under pressure. But Jos Verstappen – never one to accept defeat quietly – has now openly accused McLaren of maintaining “hidden advantages” that the FIA has failed to detect or address.
Sources close to the Verstappen camp say Jos is convinced McLaren exploited grey areas in the 2025 technical regulations – particularly around floor designs, cooling systems, and energy recovery deployment – to gain an edge that carried over into the final races.
While no formal protest was lodged during the season (and Norris’s title was awarded cleanly), Jos claims “everyone in the paddock knows what happened” and insists the FIA must now conduct “direct, independent, and invasive” inspections of every McLaren car at every Grand Prix in 2026 – including pre- and post-race scrutineering, real-time telemetry monitoring, and surprise garage checks.
The ultimatum has stunned the F1 world. Social media exploded within minutes. #JosUltimatum, #MaxLeavesF1, and #InspectMcLaren trended globally, with millions debating the claims. Verstappen supporters rallied: “Jos is right – if there’s even a hint of cheating, Max should walk. Protect the integrity!” McLaren fans fired back: “Sour grapes from Jos – Lando won fair and square. Max lost because he wasn’t good enough this year.”
Lando Norris responded quickly on Instagram: “Respect to Max – he’s the benchmark. But I won in 2025 clean, with the best team and the best car we could build. If anyone wants inspections, bring them on. We have nothing to hide.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella issued a calm but firm statement: “We welcome scrutiny – our cars are compliant with every regulation. We look forward to racing Max and Red Bull again in 2026. The title was earned on track.”
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has not yet commented publicly, but sources say an emergency meeting of the World Motor Sport Council has been called for next week to discuss the feasibility of intensified McLaren-specific inspections. Some insiders warn that singling out one team could set a dangerous precedent and open the FIA to legal challenges.
The threat from Jos Verstappen is not idle. Max’s contract with Red Bull runs through 2028 with performance clauses and exit options. If Jos pushes hard – and Max agrees – the Dutchman could walk away at the end of 2026, leaving F1 without its biggest star just as the radical new regulations era begins.
The paddock is buzzing with tension. Teams are quietly checking their own cars for potential vulnerabilities. Sponsors are nervous. Fans are divided. And the FIA finds itself under unprecedented pressure.
Jos Verstappen has thrown down the gauntlet: inspect McLaren – or risk losing Max Verstappen.
The 2026 season hasn’t even started, and the war has already begun.
