F1 News: Max Verstappen Sends Early Retirement Threat If Red Bull Dominance Fails To Continue After 2026

You wouldn't want anything else when winning becomes a habit.

Max Verstappen has been in the news for reasons that might cause his fans to worry a bit. The Dutchman has yet again, spoken of retiring sooner than 2028 if things don't go the way he intends. 

Just recently, Verstappen revealed plans of chasing his dream of having his own GT3 racing team in association with his venture Verstappen.com after 2025. Since his dream cannot be fulfilled without him investing a huge amount of time and money, the Red Bull racer hinted at an early exit from F1. 

The latest statements from him confirm that Verstappen won't be willing to compromise one bit with a team that would struggle to stay on top after 2026. And I think his new venture would just add to the reasons for doing so. Speaking to the De Telegraaf, he gave the following response when he was asked about a hypothetical situation: 

“I don't see myself spending three years in the midfield. I'd rather stay home or do something else. But again, I don't see that [RB not delivering] happening.” 

⚠️ Max Verstappen hints at retiring sooner than 2028 if Red Bull don't deliver after 2026

“I don't see myself spending three years in the midfield. I'd rather stay home or do something else. But again, I don't see that [RB not delivering] happening.”

[@telegraaf] #F1 pic.twitter.com/cXkUQ9EQ7C

— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 19, 2023

This can also be seen as an early warning to Red Bull that he won't be sticking around if they don't continue to excel in making the best F1 cars after the power regulations kick in in 2026. However, he has been confident about the team's performance but still, it gives us a fair idea of the scenario if Red Bull fails to remain on the top. 

The statements from Verstappen also hint at his and Red Bull's heavy reliance on the RB19 F1 car, obviously. However, as they say, everything is temporary in nature. I wonder how Verstappen would react if the other teams got up to pace with the RB19 and gave him a tough fight in the coming months or, in the next season. 

Especially when you consider how teams like McLaren and Mercedes have upped the ante compared to the start of this season. Verstappen may have the championship this year. But next year? You never know.