Max Verstappen has solidified his place as one of F1’s all-time greats, joining Red Bull legend Sebastian Vettel as the only driver to claim three consecutive World Championships. At 26, Verstappen will look to match Vettel’s feat of four consecutive championships in 2024, having triumphed in 44 of the last 66 races since his first title win in 2021.
The Dutchman has repeatedly stated throughout the last season that he may retire early, having started his F1 career at just 17 years old in 2015.
“I’m not going to do what Fernando (Alonso) did, I can assure you that,” the Red Bull driver told the Podpah podcast.
“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. You become world champion, world champion, and world champion. Then your next title is not special.”
Verstappen acknowledged that social media can be especially frustrating at times and is already eagerly anticipating his life after retirement.
“Of course, I have my contract but I’m not going to continue until I’m 40. I also want to do other things, and I’m relaxed about that. I also want to do other kinds of racing, but we now have 24 grand prix a year, which is a lot. If you have the car for it, 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 40 years.” Verstappen said.
“I’m at the peak of my life now, and I don’t want to think when I’m 60 about how I can be faster. At some point, you become more relaxed. I also want to help young talents who don’t have the chance to start their careers like I did.” he added.
Verstappen’s relationship with the FIA has been marked by numerous disagreements, particularly regarding radio communications, on-track incidents, and post-race conduct. The Dutch driver has often voiced his discontent with the FIA’s decisions, criticizing penalties and rulings he considered to be inconsistent.
The Dutchman has suggested that he might retire from F1 sooner than expected, questioning whether the FIA’s regulations hinder him from fully expressing himself both on and off the track.
While no single factor seems to be enough to push Verstappen toward leaving F1, the cumulative effect of various issues might make him contemplate retiring earlier than planned. The 26-year-old leads the F1 drivers’ championship by 62 points as the season heads into its final three races, with the next event taking place at the Las Vegas street circuit where Verstappen could potentially clinch hi fourth consecutive world championship.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
