F1 champion Max Verstappen lines up team principal move

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

F1 superstar Max Verstappen lines up team principal move

Max Verstappen has constantly reiterated that he does not want to race in F1 for much longer

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 14 January 2026 16:56 Updated: 17:54

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Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has suggested that he may well become a team principal one day, once he's had enough of racing.

Verstappen is just 28 years of age, but recently suggested that he will not be racing in F1 for too much longer if the current calendar demands stay the same.

The Dutchman has already won four world championships and cemented himself as an all-time great by sitting third on the all-time list of grand prix victors, and has stated that he wouldn't want to race in the sport as long as Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton.

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Now, Verstappen has suggested that he may find himself in a team principal role in the future, but in a different racing series.

Verstappen already owns a GT racing team in Verstappen.com Racing, who claimed GT World Challenge Europe Gold Cup success in 2025.

"I'm 28 now and have a contract with Red Bull until 2028," he told Blick. "I intend to fulfil it. At this point, I'm ruling out a team change. It's a shame that I won't have my friend and mentor Helmut Marko by my side in 2026, I'll miss him."

Verstappen was then asked whether he will still be racing at the age of 40, to which he replied: "At 40, I might still be standing in the pits as a team principal in another series."

How long will Verstappen race in F1?

Verstappen is contracted at Red Bull until 2028, but it's thought he will wait to see which team has mastered the regulation changes in the 2026 season before making any decisions on his future.

His next career move is set to be crucial, and is likely going to be the difference between him staying on four world championships like Sebastian Vettel, or going on to challenge Michael Schumacher and Hamilton's record seven titles.

In a recent interview, the champion suggested that he may only race in the sport for another five seasons, if the calendar remains as demanding as it currently is.

"I don't see myself driving in Formula 1 until I'm 44, let alone with 24 races per season," he told Viaplay in an end of season interview. "Even being in F1 at 34 would be too much."

Verstappen is known to have many passions outside of F1, including GT racing and sim racing, and he also has a young family at home.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen