Key team member preparing for Max Verstappen retirement

verstappen, abu dhabi gp — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Superstars

Key team member preparing for Verstappen retirement

The Dutchman has been rather negative about his long-term future in the sport

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 22 December 2023 10:57

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Nico de Jong, CEO of Max Verstappen's online merchandising shop, has said that the brand are 'already thinking about' the Dutchman's retirement from racing.

Verstappen has just come off the back of a gruelling 2023 season, a season in which he broke multiple Formula 1 records on his way to a third consecutive world championship title.

He claimed 19 of a possible 22 victories in the year, and has now overtaken Sebastian Vettel into third in the all-time list of F1 race winners.

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Despite this, the 26-year-old has been slightly negative about his long-term future in the sport, recently suggesting that he will not still be racing at Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso's age.

His current contract runs out in 2028, when he will be 31, and there is no indication as to whether or not he will extend that deal just yet.

Verstappen's F1 future

As a successful businessman, De Jong has said that his team are already assessing their options when it comes to the future of Verstappen.com, and that it will not be the end of the site if he does decide to quit F1.

“What makes this company unique is that it revolves around one person, who will sooner or later stop racing," he told Formule1.nl.

"We now have Verstappen.com Racing, but there is more. You can look at the future in different ways. In any case, it is not our ambition to close the doors here when Max stops racing.

“It is important that we can give a meaningful interpretation to the concept we have. If Verstappen.com Racing soon has its own GT3 racing team, then it is logical that we will join in. But if Max says, I want to continue in fashion, then that is also an option. Or he continues with sim racing or karting centers. Or with an F1 department store, that is also possible.

“Because we know how to play the game in terms of purchasing, sales and marketing. We can do that for one driver, but we could also do that for multiple drivers. In short, the whole game is open, but it is clear that we are already thinking about it.”