“While Max Verstappen raises uncertainties about his extended Formula 1 career, his father, Jos Verstappen, envisions him continuing to race well into his 40s.”
Verstappen has surged to the very top of the Formula 1 mountain over recent seasons, taking his dominance to new heights again in F1 2023.
Already on 17 Grand Prix wins, he has broken his record for most victories in a single campaign, while a streak of 10 in a row among that tally was also a new record.
Jos Verstappen sees Max Verstappen racing on long-term
But, while Verstappen enjoys this firm stranglehold on Formula 1, he has consistently cast doubt over his future in the series, citing the expanding calendar and promotional work among factors compromising his enjoyment of the sport.
Speaking to De Telegraaf, Verstappen recently said: “People might think: ‘he makes a lot of money, what is this guy whining about?’
“But it’s about well-being, how you experience things and not how much you earn. I sometimes think I have to do too many things. Then I sometimes think: ‘is this still worth it?’”
Verstappen is out of contract at Red Bull after the 2028 campaign and has signalled that he may leave Formula 1 at that point, aged 31, but Jos reckons his son has a lot more than that left in the tank.
“He’ll never get tired of the racing,” Jos told Sky Sports F1. “I think he will continue until 40, until 45, but it all depends on the small things.”
Verstappen was a record-breaker as soon as he joined the F1 grid at only 17, and now 26, with 52 grand prix wins and three World titles to his name, Jos says his son’s success at this stage certainly exceeded their expectations.
“To be that good, how he wins the races and how many he’s won, I think we didn’t expect [it] and definitely not at the age of 26,” Jos admitted.
So, while Jos may not fully agree with his son on the suggestion that F1 retirement is on the horizon, he did confirm that Max’s private life is, as he has claimed, very much about unwinding from the world of Formula 1.
“He’s very relaxed, he doesn’t worry about the next race,” said Verstappen Sr.
“He goes home, he doesn’t want to speak about racing, Formula 1, he just wants to relax. He’s not worried about what people think or say about him.
“And then the next race, he’s motivated again to see the best of him.”
While Verstappen may not care too much for the hype surrounding F1 2023’s next stop, the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, he is very much the favourite to claim victory there and then end the season with the Abu Dhabi GP and possibly a 19th win of the season.
