Max Verstappen teases F1 career SWITCH after behind the scenes test

Max Verstappen

Verstappen teases career SWITCH after behind the scenes test

Max Verstappen's behind the scenes test details have been revealed

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 9 February 2025 17:57

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Max Verstappen has teased a career switch away from Formula 1 in a behind the scenes test with a rival motorsport series.

The Dutchman has been linked with a series of team switches over the past year, with both Mercedes and Aston Martin emerging as interested teams to acquire Verstappen’s signature.

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However, the four-time world champion remains in contract with his current team, Red Bull, until 2028, and has expressed little interest in signing for a rival team.

Verstappen has also teased an early retirement from F1, and has often dismissed the idea of remaining in the sport as long as fellow champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, who are both in their 40s.

Will we see Max Verstappen switch to a rival team?

Max Verstappen has also discussed early retirement

To celebrate Verstappen’s fourth championship, click here to pre-order the official champion cap, as worn by the Red Bull driver following his championship-winning drive in Las Vegas.

Will Verstappen retire from F1?

Whilst Verstappen has not plotted an exact timeline for his F1 retirement, the 27-year-old has discussed frequently what he would like to achieve outside of the sport.

From heading into the management side of virtual racing, to partaking in rival motorsport series, Verstappen will not run out of options when his time comes to leave F1.

In a recent YouTube video with Honda Racing, Verstappen perhaps provided a glimpse into his future and took to the track in IMSA racing car, the Acura ARX-06.

Verstappen has competed in several sim racing IMSA events, including the recent virtual Rolex 24 at Daytona, and is a keen follower of the sportscar championship.

The champion previously teased that he would like to compete in the real-life championship in the coming years, and confirmed this once again in the behind scenes video from the test.

“I watch you guys already,” he said at the beginning of the video

“I just need to practice, you know, for the future.”

Honda's video followed Verstappen as he got used to the new machinery, and depicted stunning footage as he completed several laps with nothing but the engine noise accompanying him, in a stripped down video from the racing team.