Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have approached their 40s and still have strong motivation to keep racing. Both drivers are arguably still at their peak performance level despite already having had a decorated career of almost two decades with multiple accolades. The only driver better than them on track currently is Max Verstappen. While the Dutchman has been breaking records almost effortlessly so far, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner yet does not believe that he can reach the heights of Hamilton or Alonso when it comes to his longevity.
In an exclusive interview with RaceFans, Horner said, “Who knows? I mean at 26, obviously he’s still got quite a few years left in him. But he’ll go as long as he wants to and his motivation is there. I think he’s very strong in his own mind.”
“I don’t think he’ll be driving when he’s 42 in F1. But that’s 18 years away or 16 years away from where he is now”, stated Horner.
While the Red Bull driver will definitely not stop achieving whatever he can as long as he competes in F1, he has suggested on several occasions that he may even consider retiring once his current contract ends in 2028. He will be 31 then.
His decision will all depend on his motivation. Hence, the 26-year-old is taking it “one season at a time”. However, deep down, Verstappen may have thought about some dreams of racing elsewhere and proving his mettle in non-F1 categories. So he may not miss his F1 life too much even if he chooses to hang his boots.
What is Max Verstappen planning to do once he is done with F1?
While Max Verstappen has the longest contract in F1 currently till 2028, there is a possibility that this may be his last contract as well. The Dutchman has hinted at an early retirement from F1 this season and previously too. He has suggested about how he plans to race in other categories besides F1.
The Red Bull driver acknowledges that life will be “different” after he retires from F1. He stated, “At one point, you’ll start to wonder when you can stop pushing yourself to the limits to get the best results.”
Verstappen has intentions to own a racing team in the GT3 class of Endurance racing. He has also set up a prospect for the same with his Verstappen.com racing project. Besides, the three-time champion also wishes to race and achieve success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Verstappen is a racer at his core, so he would like to prove his mettle across disciplines such as endurance racing and GT racing as well. Therefore, the early F1 retirement may give him the time to have a shot at Le Mans and other disciplines such as rallying.
Eventually, Verstappen knows that he will experience fatigue and get tired of racing when he reaches a certain age. While Hamilton and Alonso are still going strong nearing and past 40, it may differ for the Dutchman. So, Verstappen may want to fulfill his racing interests besides F1 before his racing motivation gets exhausted.
