David Coulthard has suggested that the true measure of how successful Formula 1’s rule tweaks have been will be made clear if Max Verstappen continues to threaten his exit from the championship.

When the current rules were announced in 2023, Verstappen registered his concerns about various aspects, including cars slowing and needing to downshift before a braking zone, and the championship once more being decided by which power unit is housed in your chassis.

These complaints grew ever louder across the opening three weekends, with the increased overtaking levels described as “artificial”, resulting in the Dutchman repeatedly suggesting he could be close to calling time on his F1 career.

With the majority of drivers and a vocal fanbase on social media echoing these concerns, F1 and the FIA have reacted by tweaking the regulations in order to improve qualifying, reduce ‘superclipping’, and improve safety both at the starts and in wet weather.

“I know one thing, one person who will be the ultimate gauge on whether it has been enough will be Max Verstappen, because he doesn’t pander to anyone,” Coulthard said on the Up to Speed podcast.

“I know that Formula 1 would prefer that he wasn’t so vocal in his dislike of the current regulations, so let’s wait and see what he has to say after Miami.”

Verstappen has consistently maintained that he has no intention of sticking around in F1 until he is in his 40s, ruling out the possibility of him following a similar path to Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso.

But until the current season, the 28-year-old had not suggested that an exit could be imminent.

When the current rules were announced in 2023, Verstappen registered his concerns about various aspects, including cars slowing and needing to downshift before a braking zone, and the championship once more being decided by which power unit is housed in your chassis.

These complaints grew ever louder across the opening three weekends, with the increased overtaking levels described as “artificial”, resulting in the Dutchman repeatedly suggesting he could be close to calling time on his F1 career.

“Of course, every driver wants to be in the best car because that gives you the best chance of winning, but I do think that Max is mature enough in his career with his four titles, to go ‘Actually, this now feels like my Formula 1’,” Coulthard added.

“So if he is calmer in the coming races, I think we can assume he’s going to be around for a little while.

“If he’s still dissatisfied and it is genuinely beyond whatever lack of performance his team may have, then he may choose to step away at some point.

“Because he has been out in this break from Formula 1. He’s been out racing and practicing in his GT3 cars.”