Max Verstappen is still under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028. Only he knows how long the Dutchman really plans to drive for the Bulls and stay in Formula 1. In any case, Verstappen rules out a role.
Many great Formula 1 drivers who retired or changed series later returned to the premier motorsport class: Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda…
If Max Verstappen is to be believed, the four-time Formula 1 world champion will never join this ranks of legends.
In the “TAG Heuer” format “On the Racetrack”, Verstappen made it known that he would not return to the series after the end of his Formula 1 career – not even in a role outside the cockpit.
“I like being in F1 as a driver. But I don’t think I would ever come back in a management role,” said the 28-year-old, ruling out an official career in Formula 1.
Video: “Fresher” Red Bull inspires Verstappen
Formula 1? Max Verstappen has other series in mind
However, he could imagine this in another racing series, said Verstappen and mentioned long-distance racing as a possible field of activity. Verstappen is already an enthusiastic long-distance driver and made his Nordschleife debut at the Green Hell Nürburgring last year.
In GT3, Verstappen already has his own racing team (Verstappen.com Racing), which has been competing in the GT World Challenge Europe since 2025. The team acts as a bridge between virtual sim racing and real motorsport. And this is exactly where the Dutchman sees himself as making things possible in the future.
“Yes, I see that – creating opportunities for young drivers (who drive virtually in the simulator, editor’s note) who don’t have the financial means so that they can try to step out of the simulator world,” said Verstappen.
The four-time world champion has been driving in Formula 1 since 2015 and for Red Bull since 2016, where he has a contract until 2029. Verstappen has won four world championship titles and 71 Grands Prix with the Bulls.
