Formula 1’s reigning Champion, Max Verstappen has been very open about his motivations to leave F1 if it becomes too much for him. He has once again spoken about the topic after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
in 2023, Formula 1 hosted 22 races which equaled the most for a season. However, in 2024, F1 has increased the number of races to 24. This could prove to be more hectic for the Formula 1 drivers and teams. 3-time Champion, Max Verstappen is not very thrilled that F1 is increasing the workload. He has stated that if driving in F1 proves to be too hectic, he will choose to leave the sport.
Max Verstappen prefers quality of life to hectic F1 race calendar
Soon after the Abu Dhabi GP, Max Verstappen once again showed his readiness to leave the sport.
“There’s so many more things out there anyway, it’s not only about Formula 1 in life. There will be a day where you wake up and maybe you’re like, ‘I want to do something else.’” “No, it’s not only about [having a winning car]. It’s about quality of life in general. Because we are traveling to so many races.”
The Dutch driver has constantly been unhappy with F1 for a number of reasons. When the sport changed the sprint format for the 2023 season, Max Verstappen threatened to quit the sport. He was once again unhappy with F1 when they prioritized showmanship over the quality of racing during the Las Vegas GP.
🗣️ | Max on not changing his mind on retirement if races are becoming too much
“There’s so many more things out there anyway, it’s not only about Formula 1 in life. There will be a day where you wake up and maybe you’re like, ‘I want to do something else.’”
“No, it’s not only… pic.twitter.com/dVMOPKHY8t
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) November 30, 2023
with F1 increasing the number of races from next season, things will be getting more hectic for the drivers and teams. Even the operating costs for the teams will go up. The balance of work and personal life will be disturbed for everyone working towards the race weekends. If Max Verstappen feels that the increased workload is too much for him, we could see an early retirement from the driver.
However, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali has announced that the sport will not host more than 24 races as it is not practical. As it stands, we will be seeing cars racing on track for every month this year except for January. So while F1 drivers will be having a hectic schedule, we will be witnessing one of the busiest years for F1.
When is Max Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull expiring?
As it stands, Max Verstappen has the longest contract in F1. While everyone’s contract does not extend after the 2025 season, Max has a contract to drive for Red Bull until the 2028 season. This gives him plenty of time to break more records in F1.
Over the last 3 years, Max Verstappen has won 3 consecutive Championships. In doing so, he has also broken several other records which will be too long to mention here. There is a lot of speculation that Red Bull will continue to dominate the sport until the end of the 2025 season as that is when the next major regulation change will take place. If Red Bull continues to be dominant until then, Max Verstappen could become a 5-time Champion.
BREAKING: Red Bull confirm that Max Verstappen has signed a new contract until 2028. pic.twitter.com/Sv6zrntTSj
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 3, 2022
Ever since Daniel Ricciardo left the team in 2018, Max Verstappen has not had a teammate to challenge him. The only driver to come close to the pace of Max in the Red Bull is Sergio Perez. However, during the 2023 season, he has also fallen behind. Max finished the season with over double the points of Checo.
There is a chance that Daniel Ricciardo will replace Perez at Red Bull after the 2024 season. This could provide Max with some competition Daniel was the only driver who was able to match his pace in the Red Bull. It would be an interesting battle to look out for. The 2 drivers are also close friends off the track. However, they have had some intense battles on the track during their time as teammates.