Max Verstappen has opened the door to a possible move to Ferrari in the future, although he’s admitted that staying with Red Bull for his entire Formula 1 career “would be a beautiful story”.
The newly crowned three-time World Champion isn’t set to move anywhere in the near future, given that he is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028.
It means a potential move to Ferrari couldn’t happen until he’s 31 years old in 2029, a time when he’s admitted he could even retire from the sport.
He’s hinted previously that he could retire from F1 and race elsewhere when his long-term contract concludes, although he’s recognised that racing for Ferrari would be “incredible”.
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Given that Verstappen is keen to purchase Scuderia legend Michael Schumacher’s title-winning 2004 Ferrari, the Dutchman is clearly an admirer of the Maranello-based team, as is Lewis Hamilton.
The Dutchman is confident that he’ll still be able to perform at the top of his game come the end of his Red Bull deal, should he opt to join the Italians.
“I know that Ferrari has an incredible history in Formula 1 and is an incredible team to compete with,” Verstappen told Sportweek.
“I know that when the current contract comes to an end I will be 31 years old and I am quite convinced that I will still be able to do great things.”
Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Ferrari does seem incredibly unlikely to happen, considering that he’s been part of the Red Bull family for over a decade.
The Red Bull star feels “at home” with the Milton Keynes-based side and recognises that staying with them for his entire F1 career would be magical, as he’s “very close” to several personnel.
With that in mind, he’s not currently thinking about leaving anytime soon, mostly because he’s still contracted for so long.
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“It would be a beautiful story if I could drive here forever, that’s for sure, something that will be amazing,” Verstappen issued.
“I’m really happy with where I am. I feel at home, I feel really happy with the people who are very close to me here in the team.
“For me, this is not something that I need to seek. I have a few more years left on my contract anyway, so I’m just enjoying the moment.”