The two-time world champion Max Verstappen is not only focused on the present, but already seems to want to lay the foundations for a future career outside the Formula 1. The current contract that binds him to Red Bull Racing, in fact, will expire in 2028, and in the past the Dutch had already spoken of some possibility outside the orbit of the team which allowed him a debut as precocious as it was phenomenal.
Verstappen, concrete withdrawal hypothesis
Speaking recently to the microphones of Sky Sports UK, Verstappen has once again admitted that he does not see himself in Formula 1 until he is forty, however making his near future clear: “I'm having a lot of fun in what I do now, and I have a contract until 2028. I'll see when it expires, because the situation will depend on multiple factors. I will try to do some different races because it is important to experience different things. I really like being part of the team and I hope to stay there for a long time to come”.
Goodbye to F1, but not to Red Bull
It is easy to speculate about a possible attempt by Verstappen to conquer the Triple Crown of the motoring world, and given the extremely positive relationship with Red Bull it is not so utopian to imagine that the energy drink company could continue to follow him even after a possible retirement from Formula 1. In 2028, in fact, Verstappen will be only 31 years old, an age in which he is still in top form - as many other drivers in history have highlighted - and which would therefore allow the Dutchman to prove his talent even in very different series.
It is also obvious that a retirement at the age of 31 would be much earlier than other drivers still on the grid such as the XNUMX-year-old Fernando Alonso or the XNUMX-year-old Lewis Hamilton – with the latter allegedly considering extending his contract well beyond his forties. Verstappen entered Formula 1 much earlier than everyone else, and he could therefore prefer a pharaonic farewell to the Formula 1 Circus at the height of his career instead of making it protract too long.
Goal: keep winning
Verstappen then concluded the interview by speaking of his second world title and the differences with that of last year, where the tension was greater because the world championship was played up to the last race and where the Dutchman believed he didn't have a speed difference that would be able to beat Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes. In 2022, the title win with four races to spare he definitely has made the epilogue more enjoyable, but for Verstappen “2021 has been a very special year, it will be difficult to match in the future”.
ARTICLE BY FABIO SEGETTA
