Max Verstappen insists he will not stay in F1 as long as Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso

Max Verstappen expressed his desire to pursue things outside of Formula 1.

Max Verstappen insists he will not stay in F1 as long as Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton (image via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen is presently dominating Formula 1. The Dutch driver was the youngest to ever race in the sport when he debuted in 2015 with Toro Rosso. Since then, the 25-year-old has come a long way with Red Bull and won two world titles. Now, Verstappen has made it clear that he will not spend several years in the sport like his peers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The reigning world champion was asked if he would continue to race in F1 till his late thirties. The Dutchman affirmed that he is not in F1 to win multiple titles like Lewis Hamilton. Rather, Verstappen insisted that there will be a point when he would want to look to do things outside the sport. He stated, “No, absolutely no. At one point, enough is enough. For me, it’s not about winning seven, eight titles, nine titles. Once you’ve won it, it’s always the same thing at the end of the day.”

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Max Verstappen mentioned that he remains contracted to Red Bull till 2028. However, the two-time champion has kept his options open as he thinks about his life when he crosses the age of 30. Verstappen claimed that he would be willing to try things other than F1. He told Racefans.net, “I have a lot of plans outside of Formula 1 already. It’s not like F1 is my life, this is the only thing that I do… I know I have a contract anyway ’til ’28. But after that, I’m 31, I maybe want to do other things”

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Max Verstappen claims leaving F1 comments not a threat

Max Verstappen, 2023 British GP (image via F1)
Max Verstappen, 2023 British GP (image via F1)

In the past few months, Verstappen has often stated that he would leave Formula 1 if the sport implements too many changes that hamper its traditions. The Dutch driver has been a staunch critic of F1 Sprint weekends. However, the reigning world champion reckons such comments are not a threat to get his way. The 25-year-old said, “Honestly, it’s not really a threat [to leave F1], it’s just how I see my life.”

Max Verstappen has already expressed his interest in activities outside of the pinnacle of motorsport. The Dutch driver will soon be starting his own GT3 racing team while already sponsoring drivers under the Verstappen.com brand. As such, the two-time world champion has multiple avenues to explore if he decides to end his F1 career.

Thus, Max Verstappen believes that he will not race in F1 as long as drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The two-time world champion is currently happy to win at the pinnacle of motorsport. However, this would not discourage the Dutch driver from doing things outside of the sport, perhaps after 2028, when his current contract expires.

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