Christian Horner is convinced that Max Verstappen will not stay in F1 into old age. The director of Red Bull does not expect to see him stay at the highest level for long like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso.
“Honestly, Max is a special man and from the conversations I've had it's clear that he doesn't see himself as Fernando or Lewis and doesn't want to stay in the sport for the next 15 years” Horner said. “He has interests outside Formula 1.”
“He likes to drive GT cars, he likes to drive simulators, he likes to drive prototypes and there are some things that he's very old fashioned at in many ways. The noise and the circus that surrounds Formula 1 doesn't appeal to him. are not suitable, and as long as he enjoys doing what he does, he will do it.”
The Briton is aware that Verstappen will leave almost overnight if he no longer feels comfortable there: “As soon as that pleasure diminishes, he will have the strength of character and the personality to say, 'You know what, I'm going to go race GT cars next year'.”
-“He is unique in the sense that Formula 1 does not define him, he enjoys it and loves it, but as soon as that pleasure wears off he goes off to do something else. We are very grateful that he is our driver, and we hope that remains the case for many years, at least until 2028, but no one has a crystal ball.”
