Nico Hulkenberg Warns Max Verstappen About 'Big Hole' In Life Amid Retirement Reports

Saajan Jogia | Jan 2, 2025

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 01, 2024 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Formula 1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg, who made his premier class debut in 2010, has warned Max Verstappen about a potential early retirement from F1 amid reports that he won't complete the duration of his Red Bull contract that lasts until 2028. Hulkenberg explained that while it is easy to retire, experiencing the "big hole" left in life after parting ways with the sport is another thing.

Verstappen has expressed in the past that he does not intend to stay for a long time in F1, especially considering his long-time interest in setting up his own GT3 team in the future. He also gave hints of a sense of detachment from the sport, revealing that he would stay as long as he enjoyed the sport and that he wasn't racing for the sake of collecting world titles. Speaking in an interview before he clinched his fourth championship victory, the Dutchman said:

"At the moment, I have a contract until [2028].

"I'll be 31 years old at the end of it. Of course that is still very young, but I started when I was 17. That's a long time in Formula 1.

"For me, it depends on how the new cars will be to drive from '26 onwards. Are they enjoyable to drive? The amount of races, how much you're away from home. It's demanding.

"It doesn't matter if you're very successful or not. For me, that doesn't matter. Of course, we've already won a lot in Formula 1.

"For me, it's not that I have to stick around and try to prove myself. I don't have this desire to win eight or nine titles.

"[So] I'm very open-minded at the moment. I'm like, 'Let's just see, wait until the real car is there, how it drives, and go from there'.

"It's not just about the driving experience, it's the whole package, how it comes together. I'm not really stressed about my future. I want to enjoy it and of, course, I want to do well. I want to win. It's also about enjoying what you're doing."

At age 37, Hulkenberg embarks on a new chapter in his F1 journey with Sauber, a team set to be taken over by Audi next year. When asked if he shared Verstappen's perspective on leaving F1 at a similar age, the German driver pointed out that the Red Bull driver's situation is different. He said:

“It can move, it can change.

“It's obviously [about] feelings and emotions. It's a lot of things, a lot of factors playing into that.

“Max is in a very different situation and a different career to me. He's a four-time world champion fresh from the bakery.”

However, Hulkenberg hinted that retiring from Formula 1 might be easier said than done. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso serves as a prime example, having retired after the 2018 season only to return in 2021 with the Alpine F1 Team in pursuit of a third world title. Turning 44 this July, Alonso recently stated that he is considering 2026 as his final season in the sport.

Addressing the sudden shift in life that F1 drivers experience after retiring from the sport, Hulkenberg added:

“But you never know. We’ve had so many champions that retire and then they feel after two years - ‘actually, I'm missing something'.

“Leaving F1 leaves a big hole in a way, because you experience things here you don't get in the outside life, in a normal life.

“Saying these things is one thing, and then what actually happens can be a different thing.”