Max Verstappen reveals F1 priority in update on future retirement

Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has offered an update on his early retirement plans, suggesting he could well stick around in the sport for longer than he has previously suggested.

At 27 years old, the Red Bull star has already achieved legendary status within the sport, winning four world championships and continuing to carve out a legacy that may well see him go down as the greatest to ever do it.

However, it is undeniable that 2025 has been a massive disappointment for the Dutchman, with his Red Bull team having failed to provide him with a car capable of fighting for wins on a consistent basis, and subsequently, the championship.

That has led to doubts about his future with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with Mercedes having been strongly linked with acquiring his services in recent weeks, although Toto Wolff has now said that their priority is to keep Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for 2026.

Now, Verstappen has issued an update on when he may opt to retire from F1, suggesting that having a championship-contending car is not the be-all and end-all, hinting that he could race until his late 30s, in contradiction with previous comments.

"People sometimes hang around maybe to create more money, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t come first," Verstappen said in an interview with The Athletic.

"It’s important you’re here because of the hunger to win. Some people come here to just get the best out of their car because some don’t have a winning car. But that’s why I think: as long as I can do that, and I’m working with the people that I enjoy working with, then, yeah, we’ll drive.

"I don’t know when that will stop. Is that 32? Is that 35? 36? I don’t know. It’s impossible to know."

READ MORE: F1 pundit warns Mercedes 'embarrassing' driver over Max Verstappen pursuit

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

With Wolff's comments ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, it's looking unlikely that Verstappen will be driving elsewhere in the 2026 season.

However, questions about his future will surely only intensify as the 2026 season progresses, with a number of teams not having tied their drivers down beyond the end of 2026.

Red Bull are heading into a new era, with only their second-ever team principal stepping up to the role in Laurent Mekies, following the brutal axing of Christian Horner.

On top of this, Red Bull will be producing their own power units from 2026 onwards, after their highly successful partnership with Honda comes to an end at the end of this year.

Red Bull will be desperate to keep hold of their star driver for many years to come, particularly as the Dutchman has scored 165 of their 172 constructors' points in 2025.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen says former Red Bull teammate 'good choice' for Cadillac F1 project

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