Max Verstappen considers retirement before signing new Red Bull contract
Max Verstappen admitted he “seriously considered” retiring from Formula One or joining another team before signing his extension with Red Bull. The Dutchman put pen to paper last month for a new contract through to 2030 amid speculation of a move to other teams, including Mercedes, reports BritPanorama.
Four-time world champion Verstappen shared he considered leaving the sport at the age of 28. “You have to take every conversation with another team seriously. But in the end, I was closer to quitting Formula One than to signing with another racing team,” he told German outlet Bild.
He continued: “You either quit or you don’t, so it’s a 50/50 decision. I seriously considered calling it quits. But at the end of the day, I just love racing.” Verstappen currently sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship after finishing second in Sunday’s Grand Prix in Spain.
The Dutchman stated the reason behind his new deal was not due to pressure from outside sources. “If both parties want to work together long-term, why wait?” he explained.
“The criticism doesn’t bother me. I don’t care what others think of me,” he remarked. “The only thing that matters is how my family, my management, the team, and I feel about it. I can get along with myself, and I can.” Verstappen feels he has nothing left to prove in the sport after winning the world championship four years running.
He said: “I’m a four-time world champion, and after my first title, I’d already achieved everything I ever wanted.” When asked if he will race into his 40s like Fernando Alonso, he replied, “I don’t think so, but that’s impossible to predict. I’ll keep racing as long as I enjoy it.”
Verstappen acknowledged his struggle this season, stating he has been ruled out for the world championship after Kimi Antonelli’s win in Spain. The Italian now sits on 292 points, while Verstappen has accumulated 145 points after finishing on the podium six times without a race win. “I’m definitely not having a comeback,” he added.
As the season progresses, the landscape of Formula One remains dynamic, showcasing how the personal decisions of its stars can echo throughout the sport, reminding us that every race on the track is deeply intertwined with the lives that drive them.
