Max Verstappen snatched the torch from Lewis Hamilton and became one of the most unstoppable Formula 1 drivers in the sport from 2021 to 2024.

The 2025 and 2026 seasons have been a struggle for the Red Bull racer. He finished second to McLaren’s Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings last season, ending his streak of world championships, and has yet to finish in the top five this year.

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After finishing eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen suggested he was contemplating retirement at the age of 28.

“Privately I’m very happy,” Verstappen told the BBC. “You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”

He made clear he was suggesting that 2026 could be his final season.

“I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that’s not really the case,” he said. “Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It’s like a second family. But once I sit in the car it’s not the most enjoyable unfortunately. I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”

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Part of the struggles for Verstappen has been trying to get acclimated to the regulation changes.

“I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am,” he said. “Because I also know that you can’t be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I’m very realistic in that and I’ve been there before. I’ve not only been winning in F1.

“But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver,” he continued. “Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do.”

Maybe a break in the schedule will help clear Verstappen’s head.

Formula 1 will have a few weeks off as two races that were set for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled because of military operations in Iran.

The next race is set for May 3 in Miami.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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At least 33 bodies — including children and dismembered remains stuffed in sacks — were unearthed from a mass grave in western Kenya on Thursday, raising questions about whether the corpses were secretly moved from a hospital morgue.

Detectives exhumed the remains of 25 children and eight adults, as well as dismembered body parts packed in gunny sacks, from a mass grave at a church-owned cemetery in Kericho, authorities said.

“We were able to establish that these were bodies transferred from Nyamira District Hospital to a private cemetery in Kericho,” Mohamed Amin, who leads the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, told reporters.

He said detectives are seeking to determine whether the bodies were legally disposed of after being removed from a morgue.

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The Associated Press reported that Kenyan law allows hospitals and morgues to dispose of unclaimed bodies after 14 days with court authorization.

Government pathologists conducted autopsies Thursday to determine the cause of death, though the identities of the victims have not been released.

Authorities have arrested two people in connection with the case.

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Local media reported the bodies were transported in a government vehicle by unidentified individuals and buried hastily, with some gravediggers later alerting police.

“We need authorities to conduct a thorough investigation,” resident Brian Kibunja said.

Another resident, Samuel Moso, said authorities should “reveal if the government was involved or if a different group of people was behind the mass burial.”

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There have been three major mass-grave incidents in Kenya over the past three years.

Police in 2023 uncovered hundreds of bodies buried in a forest in Kenya’s coastal Kilifi region, exhuming mass graves tied to a religious leader accused of starving his followers to death.

In 2024, authorities recovered nine bodies from a dumpsite in Nairobi, the Eastern African nation’s capital.

The latest discovery comes as concerns grow among some Kenyans over alleged abuses by police.

Missing Voices, a human rights group, said it documented 125 extrajudicial killings and six enforced disappearances in Kenya over the past year, compared to 104 reported killings the year before.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The secret to a healthier heart may not be a major lifestyle overhaul, but rather a series of small, sustainable daily habits.

New research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that combining modest shifts in daily habits is associated with a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, stroke and heart failure.

The study, which followed more than 53,000 adults over an eight-year period, highlighted how even the smallest increase in rest can yield clinically meaningful benefits.

SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF NIGHTLY SLEEP MAY LOWER DIABETES RISK, RESEARCHERS FIND

Researchers found that sleeping for just 11 minutes more per night was a key component of a lifestyle shift associated with a 10% lower risk of major cardiovascular events.

This modest increase in sleep was most effective when paired with an additional 4.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and eating an extra quarter-cup of vegetables every day.

“We show that combining small changes in a few areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health,” said lead author Nicholas Koemel, a research fellow at the University of Sydney.

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While every extra minute counts, the study identified an ideal range for maximum heart protection that could slash the risk of heart disease by 57% compared to those with the least healthy habits.

The primary pillar of that profile was achieving eight to nine hours of sleep per night, the study noted.

This optimal routine also included completing 42 minutes or more of moderate physical activity per day and maintaining a diet high in fish, whole grains, and dairy while remaining low in processed meats and sugary drinks.

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“Making even modest shifts in our daily routines is likely to have cardiovascular benefits as well as create opportunities for further changes in the long run,” Koemel added. “I would encourage people not to overlook the importance of making a small change or two to your daily routine, no matter how small they may seem.”

Researchers utilized wearable devices to track the sleep and movement of participants, providing more accurate data than previous self-reported studies.

Several limitations were noted for the research.

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The study was observational, meaning it showed a strong link between these small habits and heart health but could not prove that one directly caused the other.

The findings were also based on participants reporting their own dietary habits, which may not always be perfectly accurate.

The researchers emphasized that studying these behaviors together is more meaningful than looking at them in isolation because sleep, diet and movement are constantly influencing one another in a daily cycle.