Max Verstappen continues to make history in Formula 1. This weekend at Zandvoort he will compete in his 200th Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to reach this milestone. During the traditional media day, the question of his future was raised. When asked about the possibility of competing in another 200 races, he quickly answered no, as he is already more than halfway there in F1.
Verstappen not ready to take part in 400 Grand Prix
« Max Verstappen answered succinctly: “I’m already halfway through my career, that’s for sure, but it’s already been an incredible adventure. We don’t feel like we’ve completed 200 races, but we do a lot of racing in a year, so we’re coming together pretty quickly.” The Dutchman does not seem to want to keep up with Fernando Alonso, who is expected to complete 400 Grands Prix by the end of the year. The Red Bull driver has often expressed his desire to leave F1 as soon as he no longer feels comfortable. He is considering 2028, the expiry date of his contract, as a possible year for his departure.
“Of course, 2028 is still a long way away, but in my mind I’m not thinking about a new contract at the moment. I just want to see how it goes, see what new rules apply to us, whether it’s fun or not. And then there’s still enough time in 2026, 2027 to decide what will happen.”
The three-time world champion remains an enigma and hinted that he might not be able to fulfil his contract, which runs until 2028. This tendency was already hinted at at the start of the season, when the Christian Horner affair rocked the paddock and the Red Bull team so much that rumours emerged that the Dutchman would join Mercedes from 2026. In addition, he has expressed his desire to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Fernando Alonso, but this is only possible after his F1 career as his schedule is too full with a number of races.
Focused on the present
“At the moment it is difficult to combine (other series) with F1 because there are so many races,” he explained. “When I stop Formula 1, I want to do something different and be more relaxed, be more at home, because when I take part in something, I want to be good and I want to win.”
In the meantime, the former Toro Rosso driver is focused on the present, particularly the resumption of Formula 1 this weekend in the Netherlands, a Grand Prix in which he is still unbeaten since it was reinstated on the calendar in the 2021 season. However, after four races without a win, he acknowledges the increased difficulty of the season, especially given the tougher competition for the top spots.
“It also seems that there are a lot more teams involved that can actually win a race. So I’m not going into this weekend saying we’re going to win the race. I just want to have a good weekend, understand the car a bit better and learn from it.”
“You just have to be realistic. If you can win the race, then of course you try. If you’re not lucky, then it’s very simple: you don’t deserve to win. You keep going and try to do better. I think we’re still trying to improve and find a better balance of the car. I hope we can start to find a better balance here.”
With a 78-point lead over his closest rival, Briton Lando Norris, the winner of 61 F1 races is going into the second half of the season with confidence. He doesn’t want to overdo it so as not to make any mistakes, he explains, because McLaren, Mercedes and possibly even Ferrari seem ready to challenge Red Bull in the last ten races.
