Max Verstappen unsure of long-term F1 future ahead of milestone at Dutch GP

Max Verstappen insists he is “past halfway” through his F1 career as he brings up his 200 ^th race at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.

The three-time F1 world champion, who made his debut in 2015 at the age of 17, has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season but is unsure whether he will race beyond that date.

Verstappen has previously stated that racing into his late 30s or 40s, like rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, is not on the cards – and he reiterated that belief as F1 returns with his home race at Zandvoort this weekend following the summer break.

When asked if he would compete in another 200 races, Verstappen replied: “No. We are past halfway for sure but it’s been already an incredible ride.

“It doesn’t feel like 200 races but we do a lot of races in the year, so you add them quite quickly.”

The 26-year-old, who has won 61 times in 199 races, confirmed he will stay at Red Bull for 2025 despite strong interest from Mercedes.

In 2026, new engine and chassis regulations come into force with the potential of shaking up the sport’s running order and Verstappen says he will wait until then before making a decision on his long-term future.

“2028 is far away,” he added. “In my mind at the moment, I’m not thinking about a new contract at the moment. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations to see if it’s fun or not.

“Then even in 2026 and 2027, there’s a lot of time to decide what happens. I keep everything open and am quite easy-going about it.”

Verstappen has previously suggested that prestigious motorsport events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also interest him.

“It’s difficult to combine [other motorsport events] with F1 at the moment, with having so many races,” he said.

“For sure, once I stop in F1, I would like to do other stuff and be more relaxed so being more at home because when I compete in something, I want to be good and want to win.”

Verstappen, who has a 78-point lead to Lando Norris in the championship with 10 races remaining this season, has won all three of the races at Zandvoort since the Dutch Grand Prix was re-introduced to the calendar in 2021 following a 35-year absence.