When Max Verstappen could retire as Red Bull star makes feelings clear on quitting F1

Max Verstappen has already racked up three world championships at just 26 years old. However, the Red Bull star may not stick around in F1 long enough to become one of the sport's all-time greats.

And with Verstappen seemingly giving himself a limited window to add to his already impressive trophy haul, fans are beginning to wonder just how much time the Dutchman has left in F1. Verstappen found himself in hot water with the FIA recently, leading to the Red Bull star receiving an order to carry out "work of public interest".

This bizarre punishment came after Verstappen branded his car "f***ed" during a press conference, with the FIA taking a dim view of the Dutch driver's expletive-laden outburst ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Unsurprisingly, Verstappen was less than impressed to find himself in bother with F1's governing body over his choice of words, with the Dutchman making his feelings crystal clear following the incident.

"These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can't be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," Verstappen told the BBC. "Now I am at the stage of my career where you don't want to be dealing with this all the time. It's really tiring. For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that's for sure."

So, just how long does Verstappen have left in Formula One? And why could the Dutchman's career be cut short compared to the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso?

Verstappen is tied down to an eye-watering Red Bull contract until the end of 2028 but even that commitment may not be enough to keep the 26-year-old in the sport.

Earlier this month, Helmut Marko provided some clarity on Verstappen's future with Red Bull during an interview with oe24. "Next year, he'll be driving for Red Bull Racing," confirmed Marko.

However, when probed about plans beyond the immediate future, the Red Bull chief played his cards close to his chest. "Well... That's so far away. Right now, our full focus is on the 2024 championship," he remarked.

What has Verstappen said?

Amidst a whirlwind of speculation surrounding his career, despite leading the championship standings, Verstappen has been under the microscope due to Red Bull's challenges both on and off the circuit. The three-time world champion has acknowledged his commitment to the team for 2025, but has put a pin in any talk of extending his contract further, despite being under that deal until 2028.

"2028 is far away," Verstappen stated back in August.

He elaborated on his current stance regarding a new contract: "In my mind at the moment, I'm not thinking about a new contract at the moment. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations to see if it's fun or not."

Verstappen also expressed a relaxed attitude towards his future decisions: "Then even in 2026 and 2027, there's a lot of time to decide what happens. I keep everything open and am quite easy-going about it."

Reflecting on his journey after the Dutch Grand Prix, where he marked his 200th race, Verstappen mused over his career trajectory. "We are past halfway for sure but it's been already an incredible ride. It doesn't feel like 200 races, but we do a lot of races in the year, so you add them quite quickly."

Plans for after F1

He has revealed a keen interest in branching out to compete in iconic races like the 24 Hours Le Mans, but stresses the importance of taking on such challenges while he's still at his physical peak. "My desire is to do Le Mans one day," Verstappen professed back in 2019.

"When it happens, I don't know. I'm talking to my dad as well so he needs to train a bit. Because if I want to do Le Mans I would like to do it with my dad."

Jos Verstappen might not share his son's zeal for the race. As stated on the official Verstappen family website, Jos said: "I enjoy rallying. Let the young guys race at Le Mans. I find rallying much more exciting."

It appears that despite the younger Verstappen's ambitions, he might have to look beyond a family partnership for his Le Mans quest.