Max Verstappen ‘certain’ about F1 retirement plan as he refuses to copy Hamilton
Max Verstappen is certain that he will have retired from Formula One in 10 years’ time. The three-time back-to-back world champion will refuse to copy Lewis Hamilton and continue racing late into his 30s.
Verstappen cruised to his third World Championship this year for Red Bull. The Dutch driver finished on more than double the points of team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished second in the driver standings.
Verstappen is now four titles adrift of Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, who jointly hold the record for most championship wins. But any hopes he harbours of catching the duo will have to be complete within the next decade.
The 26-year-old was asked by German outlet Blick where he sees Formula One in 10 years’ time. He insisted the sport would have changed considerably but he wouldn’t be a part of it.
Verstappen said: “The gas will probably be gone. But our sport is already becoming greener and more sustainable. Only one thing is certain: Max Verstappen will no longer be there!”
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Verstappen only turned 26 in September while Hamilton celebrates his 39th birthday early in the New Year. Hamilton will continue racing into his 40s after signing a two-year extension with Mercedes in August.
Hamilton finished third in the driver standings and failed to win a race for the second successive season. But Verstappen says he doesn’t miss his battles with the Brit.
He said: “No. I was happy with how this season went. Sure, I appreciate the duels we once had. But now I especially appreciate the successes that we can celebrate as a team.”
Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races in 2023 in a truly dominant year for Red Bull. But he is wary that it will be almost impossible to repeat that success in 2024.
“It will be very difficult to have a season like that again,” he said. “Okay, you can always do better. But there is a limit somewhere.
“And our rivals will certainly not rest until they can beat us. The Red Bull RB19 is now history – let’s hope the new car is even better!”
Verstappen’s contract runs until the end of the 2028 season. He is hoping Red Bull can keep above their rivals, especially with Honda changing their engine to Aston Martin in two years’ time.
He said: “A difficult question. With a question mark. But in Milton Keynes, hundreds of people are working on this ‘Red Bull Powertrains’ project.
“We don’t want to be caught off guard in 2026. We all hope it will be a rocket. We will see.”
