Max Verstappen started karting at the age of four and quickly progressed through the junior ranks to become the youngest F1 driver of all time at 17. Fast forward to 2024 and the Dutchman has achieved everything in the sport. Now, he plans on mentoring young sim-racing talents, to help them make it to real-life motorsport.
In an interview with Formula.hu, Verstappen advised the next generation of stars by saying, “I think that if you always knew what the future held, or if you could get advice from the future, it would make life incredibly boring.”
Making mistakes and learning from them is important, the Red Bull driver asserts. If the future is already known, one would never make mistakes.
“What would you ask future Max in 2030?”
“Did I win the world championship more than 7 times?”
Came across this old Max Verstappen interview from 2015. It’s 2024 & he’s basically just about halfway to 7 titles. pic.twitter.com/MdHfQo7uBm
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) April 27, 2024
Verstappen adds that a lot of people claim to know the future, which is not his cup of tea. “A lot of people believe in these… what do you call people who claim to see the future? Fortune tellers! Well, I don’t believe in such things. Forget it, it’s a shame to talk about them, they don’t care at all. I want to live my life.”
Verstappen does not even care about knowing when death will come for him. He wants to live and enjoy life and pursue things outside of F1 once he retires from the sport.
The 26-year-old wishes he advised his younger self to stop caring about the future and to enjoy what was happening at the moment. In a sport like F1, where drivers risk their lives every time they get in the car, a relaxed demeanor is essential, he asserts. If one thinks too much of the future or a possible crash, they might never be able to step in the car.
Verstappen Comments on His F1 Future
Verstappen’s current contract with Red Bull lasts until the 2028 season, but he has hinted at an early retirement from the sport multiple times. He commented on having an F1 career that wouldn’t last as long as Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso‘s.
Verstappen wants to do other things in life away from F1, and he will be 30 years old by the time his Red Bull deal runs out.
“I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where maybe you want to do other stuff. I know that I have a contract until the end of 2028, and then we’ll review it again. But I do feel that if it’s getting at one point too much, then it’s time for a change,” Verstappen said.
Verstappen likes the feeling of racing and winning. Regardless, he questions himself if he wants to continue doing the same in the future. That’s when the answer to trying something different comes in.
