Max Verstappen Drops Subtle Hint On Early F1 Retirement

Max Verstappen hints at a potential early retirement from F1, expressing interest in exploring other motorsport events like Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

As Max Verstappen will celebrate his 200th Grand Prix at the Dutch Grand Prix, his comments during the Drivers Press Conference ahead of the race weekend in Zandvoort sparked speculation about his future in Formula 1.

The three-time world champion hinted that he might not be pursuing the long haul to 400 races, suggesting he's past the midpoint of his F1 career. He commented to Autosport:

"No. We are past halfway for sure but it's been already an incredible ride. It doesn't feel like 200 races, but we do a lot of races in the year, so you add them quite quickly."

Verstappen's commitment to Red Bull extends to the end of 2028, yet his recent statements reveal a potential reconsideration might be on the horizon.

"2028 is far away.

"In my mind at the moment, I'm not thinking about a new contract. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations to see if it's fun or not.

"Then even in 2026 and 2027, there's a lot of time to decide what happens. I keep everything open and am quite easy-going about it."

Beyond Formula 1, Verstappen has expressed an interest in exploring other motorsport events, namely the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours, post his F1 career.

"It's difficult to combine [other series] with F1 at the moment, with having so many races," he explained. "Once I stop in F1, I would like to do other stuff and be more relaxed, so being more at home because when I compete in something, I want to be good and want to win."

Despite a recent dip in his dominant form, with no wins in the last four races, Verstappen still comfortably leads the championship by 78 points. He concluded:

"You just have to be realistic - if you can win the race of course you go for it, and if you don't have a chance then it's very simple, you don't deserve to win, you move on and try to do better.

"We just have to wait and see where we are throughout the weekend - I also don't know. Last year coming here I was a lot more confident that we had a good chance of winning the race, but that's how the season is already, it's a lot more competitive.

"From our side I think we're still trying to improve, to find a better car balance. Hopefully we can start here to find a better balance."