While Max Verstappen has hinted at retirement many times in the past, the frequency of these remarks has increased recently. For what seems like the nth time, Verstappen has stated that he won’t be competing in F1 for too long, having achieved everything he had aspired for.
Records do not matter to Verstappen anymore. “I’m not going to be around long enough to win 10 or 12 world titles,” he reiterated on the Podpah podcast.
The three-time champion would rather “do other things”. Verstappen is probably hinting at some venture in racing unless he has a hidden interest away from motorsports.
Sergio Perez, who was also a guest on the podcast, insisted that his teammate would carry on beyond 2028 — the year the Dutch driver’s contract with Red Bull expires.
Perez reminded Verstappen how Fernando Alonso had shared a similar outlook about his future when he was 27. Today, he is 43 and is still racing, hungry for more.
“I’m not going to do what Fernando did, I can assure you that,” Verstappen responded. “For me, that’s just too much of a good thing. I love what I do, but I’ve already achieved what I wanted to achieve personally. Everything else is a bonus. When you win your eighth or ninth title, it’s just more of the same.”
The hints of retirement notwithstanding, Verstappen hasn’t shown signs of slowing down on track. He still races aggressively, at times even crossing the line. Verstappen revealed why: “It’s good to be able to win more titles, but when you look back later in life, you don’t want to say that you’ve raced for forty years.”
Max wants time to relax
Verstappen has time and again made it clear that he will not change his driving style just because critics find it aggressive. However, there will come a time when the stress of driving on the edge catches up with him. He hopes to “become more relaxed” on track before that.
He also wants to, “help young talents, who don’t have the chance to start their careers like I did. I want to offer opportunities to others in the racing world“.
That’s probably why he had expressed his desire to start his own GT3 team. That could become a platform for talented drivers from non-affluent backgrounds to progress in motorsports.
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Verstappen has been walking the talk when it comes to helping drivers. His sim racing team engages many from across the globe. “We also have a Brazilian, and he’s an incredible guy,” the 27-year-old revealed.
The Dutchman is talking about Gustavo Ariel, who like Verstappen, drives for Team Redline, and competes in virtual sim-racing events.
