Max Verstappen drops F1 retirement date hint after Red Bull extend Sergio Perez contract
Max Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull through till 2028 - but it seems like he could quit F1 for good in the future.
Max Verstappen has dropped another hint about his potential retirement from Formula One as he looks to run out his contract with Red Bull Racing. Red Bull have just granted fellow driver, Sergio 'Checo' Perez, a two-year extension to his contract that was scheduled to run out at the end of the current campaign.
Despite fellow Red Bull driver Perez extending his time with the F1 team, it looks like Verstappen isn't looking to further his contract - and could even retire at the end of his current one.
Speaking on the BBC F1 Chequered Flag podcast, host Rosanna Tennant asked Verstappen if Perez's contract extension could be a hint from the Red Bull team to get him to sign one as well. Tennant said: " And just one final thing from me, 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?"
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Verstappen replied: "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 driver also hinted that he may choose to retire from F1 altogether after his contract expires in 2028 - when he would only be 31 and arguably in his driving prime. Verstappen said: "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."
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The 26-year-old added: "So yeah, 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, you know, 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."
There has been strong interest from other F1 teams in signing the serial winner Verstappen, with Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff and billionaire Aston Martin owner, Lawrence Stroll, among the many people who would love to capture the driver's signature.
While Verstappen shows no signs of leaving Red Bull any time soon, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft believes that the star would quit F1 altogether before joining any other team.
The Mirror reported that Croft said: "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."
