Max Verstappen has recently suggested that he is keen to end his F1 career with Red Bull as changing teams is not his thing. The Dutchman made these remarks after several reports emerged that he could potentially leave Red Bull if they begin to lose out in the developmental race.
According to Sky Italy, he said, “At the moment, anything is possible. It’s very easy to change teams, but I don’t want my career to be marked by that. I don’t want to be part of four or five different teams. I want to feel at home. Changing teams is not my thing and is not something I am concerned with at this stage of my career“.
It indeed will not be difficult to change teams for Verstappen as he has already established himself as one of the all-time greats, having won three championships. Moreover, even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated on several occasions about his desire to sign the Dutchman.
Max Verstappen doesn’t rule out extending his contract at Red Bull
“At the moment, anything is possible”
“It’s very easy to change teams, but I don’t want my career to be marked by that. I don’t want to be part of four or five different teams.”
“I want to feel at home.… pic.twitter.com/re1UumSf90
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) October 9, 2024
As things stand, Verstappen’s current contract with the Milton Keynes outfit will see him driving for them until the end of the 2028 season. However, Helmut Marko has already revealed that there is a possibility that Verstappen could leave earlier as he has performance clauses in his contract.
Considering that Verstappen is not keen to switch teams, he could even choose to retire. He has already made it clear that he does not see himself racing until his 40s like Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen has “no desire” to emulate Alonso or Hamilton’s longevity
For most sportspeople, breaking records is what drives them. However, Verstappen has stated on multiple occasions that he has no interest in breaking records as he has already achieved more than what he ever dreamt of.
He made such remarks when asked in an interview if he sees himself racing as long as Alonso or Hamilton. In reply, he said, “No, absolutely not. No desire“. He then explained how there’s a lot outside the sport that he wants to do, but is constrained by the time demands of F1. He said,
“I’ve been racing since I was four years old and at one point, enough is enough. For me, it’s not about winning seven, eight titles, nine titles. Once you’ve won it, it’s always the same thing at the end of the day. I have a lot of plans outside of Formula 1 already. It’s not like F1 is my life, this is the only thing that I do.”
