Max Verstappen eyes Le Mans after F1 retirement

Dec.8 (GMM) Max Verstappen has dropped another hint that he may retire from Formula 1 at the youthful age of just 31.

The reigning and back-to-back drivers’ world champion admits that – like former Le Mans winner Fernando Alonso – he is also eyeing the biggest prize in endurance sports car racing in the future.

“If Fernando goes there, he will want to fight for victory in a competitive car,” the Dutchman is quoted by Ouest-France newspaper. “And I am exactly the same.

“Formula 1 is a lot of fun and I’m very successful there at the moment,” Red Bull driver Verstappen, 25, added. “But I would like to try something else.

“My contract with Red Bull runs until 2028, when I will be 31. I will probably be competitive for a few years after that. But during these years, I want to have other experiences.

“I would like to have a little more fun with less pressure and also with a less tight schedule.”

Max’s famous father Jos Verstappen won the LMP2 category at Le Mans in 2008 – at the age of 36.

“That’s why I don’t want to rush either,” Max said. “Simply because a lot of things are changing now in endurance racing.

“In my opinion, it’s better to wait and see exactly what happens and how it will evolve, and then make a choice.”