Max Verstappen has revealed that he’s wanting a motorsport career “similar” to nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, who retired from MotoGP to race in GT cars.
Rossi brought his legendary motorcycling career to an end at the conclusion of the 2021 season and has since been racing in the GT World Challenge Europe, driving for Team WRT.
Verstappen has expressed his intent several times on competing in GT cars one day, with him not wanting his entire motorsport career to be spent in F1.
The newly crowned three-time World Champion wants to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours as well, something which will almost certainly happen at some point before he retires from racing.
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Because of his targets away from F1, his current contract which expires at the end of 2028 could be his last, as he wants to race elsewhere whilst still in his prime.
Staying in F1 until he’s in his 40s before switching to GT racing isn’t what the Dutchman wants, as he is eager for success elsewhere.
When asked if he’ll be in the F1 paddock still in 10 years’ time, he admitted that he won’t, as he’ll be competing elsewhere.
“Less… I will race longer, but not in Grand Prix,” Verstappen told Gazzetta dello Sport
“It would be nice to do like Valentino Rossi, I like to see his races in GT, a category I have an interest in because we have our own car entered.
“He did everything he could in MotoGP, with a crazy career, and now he’s having fun, while still working hard and wanting to win again.
“I think I will look for something similar in the future.”
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Whilst Verstappen’s future is set to be away from F1, he’s currently close to concluding a record-breaking campaign.
The Dutchman needs to score just 22 points in the final five races to break his own record for most points scored in a single campaign, whilst he needs two more wins to break another record of his, for most wins in a season.
He currently sits on 433 points and on 14 wins ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, with both figures expected to increase at the Circuit of the Americas.