Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen has made his ambitions beyond Formula 1 clear for some time.
The four-time world champion won arguably his most difficult title to date in 2024 in a Red Bull that lost its position of dominance over the rest of the grid.
Verstappen was fantastic, winning seven of the first 10 races of the season before maximising his performance in a car that wasn’t at the same level as the McLaren or Ferrari.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was Verstappen’s crowning moment, coming from 17th on the grid to comfortably win the race in torrential conditions.
The 27-year-old is now on a run of winning four straight championships, with Michael Schumacher the only driver to manage five titles on the bounce.
However, Verstappen has admitted in the past that records don’t motivate him and that spending his entire racing career in Formula 1 isn’t on his wishlist.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Verstappen has now shared what keeps him going to continue racing in F1.
It puts added emphasis on the work Red Bull are doing behind the scenes to make sure Verstappen is still in a competitive enough car to want to continue in the sport.
Max Verstappen says his enjoyment of F1 ‘keeps me going’ after fourth straight title win
Asked about what makes him want to continue racing in F1, Verstappen said: “The enjoyment keeps me going. I truly enjoy what I’m doing.
“Of course, I’m happy with the races we are winning [at Red Bull] and the championships but at the end of the day, what needs to motivate you is that you can look in the mirror and tell yourself you are still giving it 100 per cent and that you’re enjoying what you’re doing.”
Verstappen is an avid sim racer and already runs his own team, and it’s not hard to imagine him moving into a management role after he retires from F1.
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In the past, Verstappen made it clear that he didn’t have the ambition to stay in F1 as long as Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso did.
When asked by RaceFans in 2023 if he would race at 42 years old like Alonso was at the time, he said: “No, absolutely no. No desire.
“I have my mind already set on what I want to do also outside of Formula 1.
“It’s a big passion of mine and I want to make that happen as well.”
How long will Max Verstappen race in Formula 1?
The Dutchman hasn’t given a definitive time by which he would like to walk away from Formula 1.
Verstappen’s Red Bull contract expires in 2028, meaning he’s theoretically got four more seasons on the grid with his current team.
However, Mercedes have been linked with signing Verstappen as have Aston Martin and they would want to tie him down to a long-term contract if they manage to convince him to switch teams.
Verstappen could be tempted to leave Red Bull after the next set of regulations are introduced to F1 during the 2026 season.
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Plenty of change is on the horizon, with Red Bull producing their own power units for the first time which could make or break their chances of rising to the top of the standings.
Helmut Marko can imagine a scenario where Verstappen retires from F1, but it’s hard to see what happening soon while he’s arguably the quickest driver on the grid.
Verstappen recently announced that he’s set to become a father soon and it will be interesting to see if that impacts his thoughts on continuing to race in F1.
