Max Verstappen is not a dime a dozen as a driver, but also as a person. While drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg and Valtteri Bottas do everything they can to remain active in Formula 1 into their forties, Verstappen has no need for that. He knows that he is already halfway through his career, and in an extensive interview he explains what his goals are for the last part of his Formula 1 career.
With 61 Grand Prix victories and three world titles under his belt, Verstappen is one of the gluttons in Formula 1. Yet Verstappen has regularly expressed his dissatisfaction with the way things are going in Formula 1: about sprint races, about community service for using swear words, and about the bulging calendar. He would like to see the drivers listened to better. “Drivers must be given more power,” says Verstappen in conversation with Reuters know.
Verstappen wants more power
However, Verstappen is not naive either, and realizes that the chance of his wish coming true is not too great. If drivers gain power, this means that other parties have to give up power. ‘I know this will be difficult, but I think this will be very important for the future. Then I’m not talking about us, but about the young drivers. I mean, I’m happy with what I’m doing, even if a lot of things are changing. When I’m no longer happy, I stop. Then it’s just done,” Verstappen indicates that this moment has not yet arrived.
The Dutchman expresses his ambition more because of the young talents. ‘However, there are now young boys who are still working towards reaching Formula 1. That is the priority, to ensure that things do not get worse for them than they are now,” Verstappen indicates. Verstappen is also asked what exactly he thinks ‘more power’ means. ‘I want to have the right to vote! This way we can at least be involved in the discussion. That would be ideal, but I know it’s very unlikely. If you leave everything to the teams, it will always be a disaster, because they only preach to their own parish.’
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Verstappen wants to ensure that future F1 drivers, including perhaps Rocco Coronel, do not end up in a bad situation.
You only live once
Verstappen has stated it before: he has no ambition to rewrite the Formula 1 record books. ‘I have now won championships and races, so I have achieved my goals in Formula 1. That also means there is less pressure,” the 27-year-old explains. “I am not interested in winning eight titles, or in improving the victory record,” he refers to Hamilton’s 105 Grand Prix victories. ‘I know I could do that, but then you also need luck to be with the right team for longer. Yes, I could go on until I’m forty, but I don’t want to.’ Verstappen therefore seems to choose not to attack those records.
The Dutchman mainly indicates that he does not want to regret how he organizes his life. ‘I don’t want to look back when I’m eighty – and hopefully I’ll make it to eighty – and think: Jesus, I’ve been racing for forty years, and I basically threw away fifteen good years of my life when I could have been having fun with family and friends. Okay, maybe you can win a few more world titles and some races, but that’s not what life is about for me. When I’m eighty, I want to be able to look back and say: Yes, I had fun racing, and I did everything I had to do. I loved my life, and I made the most of it. That’s my goal.’
Finally, Verstappen compared his three title seasons to date, with a fourth title possible this year. “I think 2023 will always be the most special. I know it can’t happen like this every year. I also told myself not to expect another season like this because I would be very frustrated. I have accepted that.’ Verstappen won nineteen Grands Prix in 2023. This season the count is currently at seven.
