Jos Verstappen has predicted that his son, three-time world champion Max Verstappen, will continue racing into his forties. This is at odds with what the 26-year-old has said himself with the Dutchman clear that he has no plans to emulate Fernando Alonso’s longevity.
The reigning champion is currently contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, meaning he will be 31 years of age and will have spent well over a decade in F1 when the time arrives to negotiate his next contract.
Many have speculated that Verstappen will call time on his F1 service when that deal expires should Red Bull fail to continue to give him title-winning machinery. The 26-year-old has regularly stated his desire to compete in endurance racing, and also that he plans to do so in his prime, rather than as an afterthought to his open-wheel career.
With Alonso still racing at the front end of the grid at 42 years of age and Lewis Hamilton’s new Mercedes contract set to take him into his forties also, drivers are remaining at the pinnacle of the sport deeper and deeper into their careers. Verstappen, however, has no plans to do so.
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“Everyone has that at some point,” Verstappen explained earlier this season. “I think because you realise that your body can’t handle it anymore. In some sports, you have to accept that. And then it is time, in a sense, to retire. At some point, you may want to do other things or race less, of course. But not yet.”
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Mexican GP, Jos explained: “When he’s at home when I see him there, he’s still that same boy, how he was 10 years ago. In private I don’t see anything different.
“He’s very relaxed. He doesn’t worry about the next race. He goes home, he doesn’t want to speak about racing [or] F1. He just wants to relax, you know? He’s not worried about what people think or say about him.
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“And then the next race, he’s motivated again to see the best of him. To be that good, how we win the races and how many we have won, I think that’s something we didn’t expect and definitely not at this age of 26.
“He’ll never get tired of the racing. I think he will continue until 40, until 45.” Jos did, however, acknowledge that his prediction hinges on external factors, adding: “But it all depends on the small things I think.”
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