07 October 2023 , 19:40
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Christian Horner admitted his belief that Max Verstappen will retire from Formula 1 as a relatively young man.
Fernando Alonso, 42, is proving this year that F1 drivers can continue to compete for a long time. And Lewis Hamilton will still be racing in the sport beyond his 40th birthday after signing his new Mercedes deal last month.
But Verstappen has said on many occasions that he does not plan to remain in the sport for that long. Aged 26, he is already a three-time world champion, securing his third crown on Saturday by finishing second in the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint.
Time remains very much on the Red Bull racer's side to go on to become the most decorated driver the sport has ever seen. But that's only if he has a change of heart and extends his F1 career.
Verstappen's current Red Bull contract keeps him with the team and in the sport until 2028, when he will turn 31. After that, team principal Horner admits he could lose his star man.
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"Will Max be in Formula 1 for a long, long time? I don't think so," he wrote for the Press Association. "He has ambitions beyond F1 and beyond racing. And at 26, 36 seems a long way away.
"We have a long-term agreement with him until 2028, and he has always said he will be happy to start and end his career here, but motivation will be a crucial factor."
Horner also recalled how Red Bull discovered Verstappen as a promising teenager and snapped him up before Mercedes could secure his signature. "There had been a lot of talk about Max in karting. The first time I saw him was in his opening Formula Three race at Silverstone in 2014," he wrote.
"I remember raising it to Helmut Marko – Red Bull's motorsport consultant – that this kid looks the real deal. Helmut watched him at the Norisring in Germany and he was convinced.
"There was interest from Niki Lauda and Mercedes, but Red Bull could take him to Formula 1 immediately. So, he came to us a very young age. He was 16. And I remember in his very first outing for us – a demonstration run in Rotterdam – he took the front wing off the car! But you could tell in the seat fitting the confidence he had for a young guy was exceptional."