Currently, at the peak of his powers, Max Verstappen has won three championships on the bounce. However, despite enjoying the level of success and dominance that he is at the moment, the Dutchman often talks about retirement. The 26-year-old has widely discussed his desire to hang up his helmet after the 2028 season.
Verstappen has hinted at leaving the sport earlier owing to the exhaustion from the increasing races on the calendar and the frequent changes to the sport. The Red Bull man added another factor to the growing list which can end his F1 career early.
In a recent chat, owing to Red Bull’s struggles at the moment, he was asked what happens if he’s told he will never win another race. To this Verstappen bluntly replied, “If they would tell me right now that I would never win a race again, I think it’s better to fly home now and stop racing.”
“imagine they tell u that u’ll never win another race. do u think u would still be happy and motivated?”
max: if they would tell me right now that i’ll never win a race again, i think it’s better to fly home now and stop racing
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) June 9, 2024
Thanks to Red Bull‘s interpretation of the 2022 regulations and superior machinery, the three-time champion has been rampant in the sport. He broke the record for most wins in a single championship campaign in two consecutive seasons. To put things in perspective Max Verstappen has won a mind-boggling 50 of the last 75 races he’s started in.
Perhaps the 26-year-old has grown accustomed to the consistency of these positive results. So, if and when a scenario arises where he isn’t even fighting for wins, the Dutchman would rather quit. This scenario is just another in the growing list of things that would make Max Verstappen quit.
Max Verstappen could leave the sport even before 2028
Thanks to the internal turmoil in Red Bull, Max Verstappen’s future was widely speculated on in the sport. Mercedes made extensive poaching efforts to secure the Dutchman’s services to replace their outgoing champion.
However, the 26-year-old pledged his loyalty lies with the Austrian team, being satisfied where he is. However, he also subtly hinted at his future beyond 2028.
As quoted by Mirror, Verstappen said, “I’m very happy where I’m at, and we want to keep it that way. I have a contract with Red Bull until 2028 – after that, I first want to see if I even want to continue. That’s, for me, the most important (thing) – it’s not so much about where. These kind of things, I don’t really think about at the moment.”
Verstappen has often expressed he will only continue if he has the motivation and desire. He’s won all he can and done so in a record-breaking fashion. If a scenario arises where he is in a non-competitive team, he might just quit.
