Max Verstappen suggests he may leave Formula 1 when his contract with Red Bull expires.
After finishing third at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, the reigning World Champion leads the season in the title race, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc closing the gap to nine points after seven races.
The Dutchman became the youngest driver to start racing in F1 when he made his debut in 2015 aged just 17.
After working for the Red Bull Junior Team Toro Rosso for a year, Verstappen rose to prominence and soon established himself as one of the fastest drivers on the network, winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, the youngest race in history.
After winning the title last year, he signed a big new deal with Red Bull, keeping him with the team until 2028, on an annual salary of £40m.
But now Verstappen has hinted that he could quit sports as soon as his contract is up.
“I am not going to change the team. I am happy here and they are happy with me,” the 24-year-old told the Daily Mail.
“But I haven’t decided what to do after 2028. I can stop.
“I have been in F1 since I was 17 years old, it has been a long time. I spent many seasons in F1.
“You might want to do something else. I don’t know if I’ll hit a peak where performance degradation can happen over 31 years.”
The sudden departure of an F1 driver is unheard of, with Nico Rosberg announcing his retirement just a week after winning the 2016 title, but he was clearly at the peak of his career.
Verstappen says he doesn’t want to leave his current team, but as former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel knew, a lot could change quickly.
It was unthinkable that the Germans would leave the dominant Red Bull team after winning the title four times in a row in 2013, but signing a move to Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season. I did.
F1 drivers often lead after leaving various motorsports, including IndyCar, the World Rally Championship and endurance racing at tracks like Le Mans in the case of Verstappen’s father Joss.
“I want to do another type of race, like endurance racing,” Verstappen added.
“Constantly traveling is a nightmare. Maybe I just want a more comfortable life and careers that I like.”
“I want to use it when I have a chance to win the championship. If I’m fighting in 2028, a sudden stop doesn’t make sense. It’s confusing.”
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Source: Metro
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