Helmut Marko Hints Early Retirement for Max Verstappen: “Not One of Those Like Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton”

Max Verstappen has been open about his plans to retire early from F1. Even amid the swearing controversy in Singapore, the Dutchman reiterated how such trivial matters may further push him away from the sport. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also stated that Verstappen is serious about wanting to retire early from F1.

Marko compared the 27-year-old with veterans Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to highlight his point further. Speaking to ORF, as quoted by Motorsport-Total.com, the 81-year-old said, “Max is not one of those like Alonso or Hamilton, who drive as long as their physical constitution is competitive.”

Marko also highlighted how the number of world championships Verstappen wins is not his main concern. Verstappen wishes to have “fun and enthusiasm” in any category he races in. Previously, the three-time champion had commented about not wanting to race in F1 till his 40s.

⚠️ Max Verstappen hints at retiring sooner than 2028 if Red Bull don’t deliver after 2026

“I don’t see myself spending three years in the midfield. I’d rather stay home or do something else. But again, I don’t see that [RB not delivering] happening.”

[@telegraaf] #F1 pic.twitter.com/cXkUQ9EQ7C

— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 19, 2023

On the contrary, Alonso and Hamilton are still racing in F1 for almost two decades. The Spaniard recently turned 43 and has a multi-year deal with Aston Martin until the end of 2026. Meanwhile, Hamilton also has a similar deal with Ferrari and will turn 40 in January 2025.

Seeing these veterans race in their 40s, Verstappen doesn’t feel he can emulate that. While even Alonso and Hamilton said back in the day that they would want to retire from the sport early, they have stayed to race in F1.

As for Verstappen, he wishes to explore racing in other categories like the Endurance championship and GT3. He is also an avid sim racer and often participates in official sim-racing events.

So, the 27-year-old would want to do these ventures rather than race in F1 for two decades till he touches 40. Still, if Red Bull remain competitive, Verstappen could be encouraged to stay on for longer as he has previously suggested that it would be difficult for him to make the decision to retire early if he is still in a position where he is winning.

Verstappen and Red Bull’s contractual situation

Currently, Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull till the end of the 2028 season. While he seemed set to stay till the end of this current deal, there have been increasing speculations about his early Red Bull exit.

The three-time champion reportedly has performance clauses in his contract, via which he can trigger his exit from the Milton Keynes outfit if their car fails to meet the competitive standards. Since 2021, Red Bull have been providing Verstappen with a race-winning and a championship-winning car.

However, in 2024, the RB20’s performance has fallen off drastically despite being the fastest car in the initial half of the season. This has further fuelled the rumors about Verstappen looking to leave the team in 2025 or 2026. If Red Bull cannot improve their competitiveness next season, the Dutchman could take the exit door at Milton Keynes.

Now, it is still uncertain whether Verstappen would entirely retire from the sport or just switch over to some other team. There have been suggestions about the three-time champion considering a move to Mercedes or Aston Martin in the next two years. And Verstappen himself stated that he would want to stay in F1 till he is 30.