Verstappen rules out long F1 career, looks at other projects
Verstappen rules out long F1 career, looks at other projects
Max Verstappen has warned his fans not to expect a long career in Formula 1, even as he approaches his fourth consecutive world championship.
“I’m not going to do what Fernando (Alonso) did, I can assure you,” the Red Bull driver told the Podpah podcast. Alonso debuted in puberty, like Werstappen, but he is always in a hurry at 43. The 27 -year -old Verstappen is not attractive to such longevity. \”For me, that\’s just too much of a good thing,\” Verstappen admitted. \”I love what I do, but I\’ve already achieved what I wanted to achieve personally. Everything else is a bonus.
“If I win my eighth or ninth title, it’s about the same. You’ll be world champion, world champion and world champion, which means your next title will be nothing short of special. “I can’t hold on long enough to win ten or twelve world titles,” he warned.
Although Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, his deal includes exit clauses and he has openly admitted his disappointment with modern Formula 1. \”In karting, it wasn\’t that political. We just had fun, and it was about the racing,\” he said. “In F1, it’s not just about driving. It always was like that, but it’s even worse now. »
Social media is especially boring, he says. “Everybody has an opinion sitting on the couch,” Verstappen said. “It’s a bit silly.” They are better than us, they just don’t have cars, that’s how they see it. They can’t do anything, but they know a lot. It’s just boring.
For the future, Verstappen is excited about the opportunities after retirement. “Of course I have a contract, but I don’t want to do it for 40 years. I want to do other things and I’m calm about it,” he said. “I’d love to take part in other types of racing, but now there are 24 Grands Prix a year, which is a lot. If you have the right car it’s great to win more titles, but I don’t want to look back later and say I’ve been racing for 40 years. “I’m at the peak of my life now and I don’t want to think about how I can be faster when I’m 60. At some point we become more relaxed.
One of Verstappen’s passions after F1 is supporting the young talent he’s already developing.
\”I also want to help young talents who don\’t have the chance to start their careers like I did,\” he said. \”I want to create an online world and offer them the chance to move to the real world. I want to dedicate time to it and make sure it works.
Sim Racing with his Redline team is another passion.
“I want to reach people around the world and give them the opportunity to race if they don’t have the money to do it right now,” Verstappen added. Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, has noticed his son’s growing frustration with the demanding F1 schedule.
“For many drivers, including Max, there are just too many races in F1,” Jos said on his website. “He was always very open about it.
“When I started, there were only 16 or 17 races. Now there are 24 of them and that is felt by everyone, including the mechanics who are always on the go.
“Max’s absence will be even bigger as he also has to fulfil simulator development and sponsorship obligations. You can’t imagine how often he’s away from home.
As for life after racing, Max has ruled out becoming an F1 pundit.
“Look, it’s totally fine for you to have your opinion, because I have my opinion,” he said. “I don’t always say it because if I always give my own opinion, we won’t be able to broadcast it often on television.
