F1 champion Max Verstappen reveals thoughts of QUITTING over Red Bull future

Max Verstappen in Hungary — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen reveals QUITTING thoughts over F1 future

Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 three-time world champion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 22 August 2024 21:12 Updated: 22:42

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Max Verstappen has once again thrown his long-term Formula 1 future into serious doubt ahead of his home grand prix at Zandvoort this weekend.

Verstappen is a three-time world champion in the sport, and is already likely to go down in history as one of the greatest drivers of all time, having broken multiple F1 records at the age of just 26.

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The Dutchman is well on his way to securing his fourth world championship title in 2024, but has suffered a mixed season in that Red Bull's dominance over their competitors seems to have significantly diminished.

Verstappen has become frustrated with his team during his current five-race victory drought, most memorably at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he launched an x-rated rant in the direction of his team over the radio.

Max Verstappen is a three-time Formula 1 world champion

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Verstappen's F1 future in doubt

For much of 2024, Verstappen's future with Red Bull has been called into question, despite his mammoth contract with the team, with Mercedes sniffing around the champion's potential availability.

Current Mercedes driver George Russell recently suggested that the Dutchman may exit the sport ahead of 2026, to scope out which team has mastered the new regulations, before returning at the age of 29.

Now, Verstappen has categorically agreed that he will not race as long in the sport as Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, as well as suggesting that the entertainment value of F1 post-2026 will decide whether he will continue competing beyond his current contract.

"No," he defiantly responded to media ahead of his 200th race when asked if he expects to race in another 200. "Nice and easy yeah.

"We are past halfway for sure but it's been already of course an incredible ride.

"It doesn't feel like 200, but of course, we are doing a lot of races now in the year, so you add them quite quickly.

"2028 is far away," Verstappen continued.

"In my mind at the moment, I'm not thinking about a new contract at the moment. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations to see if it's fun or not.

"Then even in 2026 and 2027, there's a lot of time to decide what happens. I keep everything open and am quite easy-going about it."