Max Verstappen has answered almost every question about his mindset and ability to become one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers.
The likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have dominated previous generations of the sport, and the ground effect era will always be known for establishing Max Verstappen’s place in F1’s history.
Each of his championships have been very different, but 2024 will be remembered for Verstappen winning the Drivers’ Championship despite Red Bull no longer having a distinct advantage over their rivals.
Verstappen’s advantage over Sergio Perez in the standings highlights just how impressive he was but the 2025 campaign is likely to test him more than ever before.
McLaren and Ferrari will back themselves to have a quicker car than Red Bull this year, but Verstappen is a factor that each of them will have to factor in.
Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs until the end of 2028, but other teams are already hoping to secure his services.
Aston Martin would love to sign Verstappen, and it’s no secret that Verstappen is on Mercedes’ radar with both of their drivers out of contract at the end of this season.
However, there’s another option available to the Dutchman in the next few years that might appeal to him: retirement.
Verstappen has no desire to race in Formula 1 forever and is very unlikely to emulate Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso’s prolonged careers.
Nico Rosberg would ‘understand’ if Max Verstappen retired in the next few years
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, former world champion Nico Rosberg was talking about Verstappen’s future.
It was put to the German that Verstappen has discussed potentially retiring in a few years and was asked if he could see the 27-year-old retiring like he did much sooner than many would have expected.
He said: “It’s possible. Max has already achieved so much despite his young age.
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“The intensity of Formula 1 leaves a mark on you, both mentally and physically.
“If he feels he has achieved what he set out to do, and wants more from life, I would understand his choice.”
How does the paddock feel about Max Verstappen retiring from Formula 1 early?
There will be many drivers in the paddock that will hope Rosberg is right and Verstappen may walk away from the sport sooner rather than later.
Red Bull don’t have an obvious successor in their driver roster, meaning whenever he does decide to retire, it’s likely to have a seismic impact on the driver’s market.
Yuki Tsunoda has predicted when Verstappen could retire and isn’t expecting him to walk away any time soon.
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Verstappen has responded when asked about signing a new Red Bull deal, but an awful lot is likely to change between now and when he needs to put pen to paper on a renewal.
He’ll be keeping a close eye on how Red Bull prepare for the next era of F1 beginning in 2026 when cars are going to have to significantly change.
The Anglo-Austrian team are working on their own power unit for the first time and that’s going to make staying on top of their competition even more difficult.
It’ll also be interesting to see what Red Bull’s car look like in the post-Adrian Newey era.
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