Is Max Verstappen Retiring? Red Bull Driver Discusses His Plans Ahead Of The Austrian Grand Prix!

Red Bull\’s Max Verstappen is one of the most talented F1 drivers in the world currently. He became the F1 world champion last year after defeating the seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton during the controversial final race in Abu Dhabi. The Red Bull driver has carried his championship-winning performance into the 2022 season as well and is leading the drivers\’ standings with seven out of ten race wins.

The 24-year-old has a 34-point lead over his teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers\’ championship, despite suffering two early DNFs in the season. Max is going through an incredible run in the past year, resulting in Red Bull extending his contract until the end of 2028. Verstappen is already an experienced driver, appearing in 151 races with 26 wins since his debut during the 2015 Australian GP.

Thus, the Dutchman is bound to be an active and competitive part of F1 until 2028. However, Verstappen recently pointed out that he might end up retiring from Formula 1 if he fails to stay competitive in winning races. Although with the dominating run Red Bull has had over a couple of seasons, the Austrian outfit is expected to continue its dominance. And this will allow Max a perfect opportunity to bag as many championships as he can.

Talking about his retirement plans, Max said that maybe he would stop racing in F1. The Dutchman continued that he would be driving around in Formula 1 for a while by 2028. Thus, his future in F1 after the end of his Red Bull contract would depend on the performance of his car and his ability able to compete for the prizes. Verstappen admitted that he could not stand driving at the back. Hence, he would rather consider driving in different classes instead of continuing on.

Verstappen Talks About His Tough run At The British Grand Prix

The current F1 champion stressed that retirement was not at the front of his mind as Red Bull is experiencing a great deal of success. The Australian outfit dominated the season with eight race wins. They have a 63 points lead over their rival Ferrari in the constructors\’ championship with 328 points. Max also pointed out that he would not want to drive for any other team right now. He added, \”If you feel good about something and it works, why change?

Max Verstappen further talked about the issues he faced with his RB18 during the British Grand Prix. He had to settle with a rare seventh-place finish in Silverstone. Max\’s car ran over a piece of carbon debris following the collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly. The shrapnel entered the RB-18\’s floor resulting in critical aerodynamic damage.

The Dutchman could not drastically turn left or right. The carbon piece destroyed the whole left side of his car\’s floor. At this point, Max felt like his car was falling apart within two corners. Initially, the Red Bull driver thought that it was a puncture. However, it turned out to be something more, and he could not compete at the front in Silverstone.