Max Verstappen has dropped another hint that he could retire from Formula One after his current contract with Red Bull expires in 2028, following Sergio Perez’s contract extension
Max Verstappen has hinted at a possible retirement from Formula One as he contemplates the end of his contract with Red Bull Racing.
This comes as Red Bull recently extended fellow driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez’s contract for another two years, which was initially set to expire at the end of this season. Despite Perez’s contract extension with the F1 team, it appears that Verstappen isn’t keen on extending his own deal and may even consider retiring once his current one ends.
During an interview on the BBC F1 Chequered Flag podcast, host Rosanna Tennant questioned Verstappen if Perez’s contract extension could be a strategic move by Red Bull to encourage him to stay on. Tennant asked: “Checo’s future is sealed, do you feel that the team may have signed him to entice you to stay because, of course, there are question marks about your future with the [Red Bull] team?”
Verstappen responded: “No, I don’t think it has anything to do with that. I mean, people always make up stories but things are not linked to each other and I’m very happy where I am at the moment.”
The Red Bull’s star has also given fans a hint that his retirement from Formula One may be on the horizon. The driver revealed he’s considering hanging up his helmet for good once his contract runs its course in 2028, despite being just 31 years of age and with him arguably him being at the peak of his driving powers, reports the Express.
In a candid admission, Verstappen explained: “I have a contract until 2028 and the dream and the target is still to end it after ’28, you know, to really run out the whole contract and anyway, after that I don’t even know if I want to continue in the first place.”
The young champ, now 26, elaborated further: “I don’t think about it too much, I’m just very happy that Checo’s signed his own [contract]. It’s also better for him, knowing what you are doing in the coming years and we’ve always worked really well together.
“We have a good stability in the team so it’s always been nice and calm like that and I think that’s also very important within a team.”
Despite Verstappen’s firm position with Red Bull, other F1 teams have shown keen interest in having the serial winner join their ranks. High-profile figures such as Toto Wolff, Mercedes CEO, and exclusive club owner Lawrence Stroll are reportedly among those eager to acquire Verstappen’s talents.
However, despite the increasing speculation, it would appear Verstappen has no immediate plans to leave Red Bull. Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has even suggested that Verstappen might retire entirely from F1 before switching allegiances.
Croft was quoted as saying: “Is Max Verstappen going to get that seat at Mercedes first? I don’t think so, I really don’t.
“I’ve not thought that he’s been going to Mercedes ever since these rumours started. He said in the press conference earlier that he was happy at the team he is currently driving for, at Red Bull, he was happy with the way things were and he was hoping it would stay that way.
“He also chuckled to himself and said, ‘I don’t know if I want to be driving in 2026 or not’. That is the more pertinent point – when is Max Verstappen going to stop? He’s contracted until 2028 and then he would take a long hard look at whether he’s still enjoying Formula 1 or not, but he might do it a little bit sooner. There are other priorities in Max Verstappen’s life and not just going out and winning races and championships.”
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