Verstappen fuels early retirement speculation: Winning won't 'keep me here forever'

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has hinted that he may not follow the path of the Formula 1 veteran by extending his racing career indefinitely.

While drivers like 41-year-old Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton (38) continue to compete fiercely in F1 with no signs of slowing down, Verstappen, at the age of 25, has already accumulated an impressive 171 Grand Prix starts since debuting in the sport at a mere 17 years old.

Despite his recent back-to-back World Championship victories and a promising run in the current season, having won six out of eight races so far in 2023, Verstappen revealed that sustained success alone would not keep him in F1 for the long term.

In an interview with Forbes, he said: "Some people love racing because that's the only thing they do. I love racing, but I also want to do other things and not only F1 at some stage."

A broader perspective

While acknowledging that F1 represents the pinnacle of motorsport achievement, Verstappen expressed his desire for a broader perspective, stating: "Now that I've won two titles, it's nice to win another one and another one, but basically it's the same thing. It's not something that will keep me here forever."

The Dutch driver has previously voiced his concerns about the expanding F1 calendar, which has grown from 19 races in 2015 to 22 races this year.

Verstappen emphasised the challenge of being away from loved ones for prolonged periods, saying: "It's more about if I can motivate myself every single year to the fullest because, with the race calendar being so long, you're away from family and friends a lot."

Verstappen pondered the significance of balancing winning races and spending quality time with those closest to him.

He reflected: "What is more important? Is it