Max Verstappen has done a lot in Formula 1. But the one thing he won’t do is mince his words. And while his current dominance has become divisive, we can’t overlook the fact that we’re very lucky to witness it first-hand because there’s a good chance it won’t last all that long. Verstappen has the world at his feet right now, strapped into the RB19. However, when quizzed, he didn’t shy away from revealing that he would have absolutely no problems with walking away from it all, without a shred of regret, as per his interview with Formule1.
This sport can be a cruel mistress, even to the best of the drivers. On the track, Verstappen is a model of determination and a ruthless drive to succeed. But what the 2x champion embodies today has been the result of painstakingly striving to be the very best. Something he’s endured right from his very early karting days. And even if we are to discount the years he spent toiling in the junior formulas to get to F1, he’s been at the pinnacle of motorsport for almost a decade now. 8 years to be exact.
Max Verstappen already has enough points in 2023 to win the 2021, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015 & 2014 world championships. pic.twitter.com/xW9cfz45RQ
— f1.of.a.kind (@f1ofakind) September 24, 2023
That being said, the allure of glory, which he has in spades, isn’t something that drives him anymore. For the entire world, he may be Senna incarnate. But for Max Verstappen that just isn’t enough. He wants to win until there is no one left to beat. And even then, he won’t be satisfied till he’s put his own last lap to shame. Naturally, by his own admission, this mentality is inching him closer to the nadir.
The cost of success will be the end of Max Verstappen in Formula 1
With 2 championships already in the bag and a 3rd in the pipeline, you’d expect Verstappen to be addicted to success. The mere thought of a life without the highs of such incessant success as he’s witnessed would break anyone into a cold sweat.
But when Verstappen was quizzed if he feared the pedestrian life that would come after F1, he said, “A lot of people say I’m going to miss this life and the pressure it brings later. My father says so too. But personally I don’t think so. If you’ve done it a lot and for a long time, you’re a bit done with it at some point Not yet, of course, but there will come a time when enough is enough. Don’t forget, I started karts when I was four. You will wonder when it will stop that you constantly have to get the best out of yourself to reach the very highest.”
#OnThisDay in 2014, a young, fresh-faced Max Verstappen made his debut in an F1 practice session! 👏#F1 pic.twitter.com/2Gi2giTh38
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 3, 2023
If Verstappen is looking to scale the highest peak of F1, then he’s already there as one of the GOATs of this sport. And while he doesn’t fear a mediocre life outside of F1, while in the sport, that is his biggest nightmare.
The end for Verstappen could be very near
Strapped into the exquisite beasts designed by Adrian Newey, Verstappen has made it a sorry habit of winning. But all good things come to an end. Mercedes, for instance, lit the turbo-hybrid era of this sport up in a way that it seemed as though they would never stop winning. In came Verstappen, and the Silver Arrows folded like a house of cards.
While Verstappen became Lewis Hamilton’s kryptonite, the 2026 regulations overhaul could be the downfall of the Bulls. With a new engine partner in Ford and active aerodynamics in the mix for 2026, Verstappen is acutely aware that the end of his dominance with Red Bull may be nearing an end.
And if Red Bull were to get it wrong, Verstappen’s already spelled out his plans. He was quoted as saying, “I don’t see myself spending three years in the midfield. I’d rather stay home or do something else.” Verstappen’s current contract runs up till the end of 2028, but if 2026 brings the Bulls down, will Verstappen ditch them?
