Max Verstappen has intimated that he could quit F1 in the near future amid his displeasure at the sport’s new regulations for this upcoming season.
The 28-year-old is contracted with Red Bull Racing until the end of the 2028 season, with that deal worth £40million-a-year.
He will be 31 when his contract expires, however, the 31-year-old has no plans to emulate the likes of veterans Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton who are racing in their forties.
‘I definitely see myself nearing the end,’ the four-time world champion told the Up To Speed podcast when discussing his future.
‘I’d say the new regulations aren’t helping to extend my F1 career, but it doesn’t matter, I’m happy with my trajectory, I can easily leave it behind, I have other projects.’
The other projects the Dutchman is referring to include the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, where he can compete with his GT3 team, and also the 24 Hours of Le Mans which is he one day expected to compete in.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has hinted he may retire from F1 in the near future
The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until 2028 – with his deal worth £40million-a-year
Verstappen has been dating Kelly Piquet since 2020 and they have a daughter together in Lily
Expanding further, Verstappen added that he would rather spend his life with his loved ones – he is in a relationship with Kelly Piquet and they share a daughter in Lily – rather than trying to break F1 records.
‘Who cares when you’re 60 or 70 if you won 4 or 10 titles?’ he continued. ‘I’m getting older and I prefer to spend time with my family before they’re gone. It’s something I’ve realised over time.
‘I was recently skiing with some good friends and my family and I realised how fantastic it was to be able to spend several days together, appreciating life.
‘I want to live my life; you only live once, and I don’t want to spend 25 years driving a car. I want to appreciate what’s out there.
‘Maybe I sound dramatic, but I don’t want to keep living just to race.’
Verstappen’s words echo his sentiment in 2022 when he signed a new deal with Red Bull until 2028. Speaking with Daily Mail Sport’s Jonathan McEvoy he said: ‘The plan is to stay here until 2028. I am not planning on changing teams. I am happy here and they are happy with me. But I have not made up my mind what I will do after 2028. I might stop.
‘I have been in Formula One since I was 17. It has been a long time. I have done a lot of seasons in F1.
‘I may want to do different stuff. By 31, I don’t know whether I will have peaked or where the drop-off in performance may have occurred.
‘I want to do other types of races – endurance racing, for example. Maybe I will have had enough of travelling all the time. Maybe I will want an easier life and just to do the races I like.
‘Whenever an opportunity comes to win a championship, you want to take it. If I am in a fight in 2028 it may be stupid to suddenly stop. It is difficult to know.’
