Max Verstappen F1 News: Red Bull star reveals future plans as team-mate DROPOUT confirmed

Max Verstappen

Verstappen reveals NEW future plan as team-mate DROPOUT confirmed

Max Verstappen has had a spanner thrown into a major future plan of his

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 15 February 2025 18:57

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has spoken out over major plans for his future after being hit by a team-mate bombshell.

The Dutchman secured his fourth consecutive title victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year with two races to spare in the championship, but his Red Bull team could only manage third place in the constructors' standings.

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Verstappen's 2024 team-mate Sergio Perez finished the season with back-to-back DNFs, failing to contribute to a much-needed last-minute points haul in the team standings.

Instead, McLaren and Ferrari climbed above Christian Horner's outfit, leading the team to replace Perez following the dismal season finale.

Verstappen will now race alongside newly promoted junior driver Liam Lawson, with the 23-year-old handed the most difficult job in F1, aiming to keep the team happy whilst assisting Verstappen on his hunt for a fifth drivers' title.

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Following a difficult year for Red Bull both on and off the track, Verstappen has publicly flirted with the idea of switching teams or even pursuing a career in a racing series outside of F1.

It has been no secret that Verstappen and fellow F1 champion Fernando Alonso have shared the dream of competing in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans together, but in a recent update, the duo's future plans have hit a wall.

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The iconic event is part of the WEC race calendar and typically, WEC teams will have two or three drivers per team, with the latter especially necessary for the marathon event at Le Mans.

Whether Verstappen and Alonso will team up for the race or not is yet to be determined but what the Dutchman has confirmed is that his father, former F1 star and rally driver Jos Verstappen, has now ruled himself out as the pair's potential third team-mate.

Speaking to Mirror Sport, Verstappen revealed that his father no longer wishes to join the event, saying: "[Jos] is still very good at it, [but] he doesn't want to. He just doesn't want to do it anymore."

"It's fine, let's see what happens. A lot of things can happen. There are many great drivers that you can pick from. I have a lot of friends also who race, so it will be hard to pick one."