Max Verstappen Reveals His World Championship “Doesn’t Matter”; Doesn’t Care What Other People Think

How many championships can a Formula 1 driver win before it’s enough for them? You see, it’s kind of a trick question. The answer depends on the driver you’re talking to. For James Hunt, one title was all he needed to prove himself to the world. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are still vying for their 8th and 3rd titles respectively. But if we talk about the reigning triple world champion, Max Verstappen, it turns out that the question itself doesn’t mean all that much to him. For the Red Bull man, it doesn’t even matter how many championships he has under his belt.

On one hand, we have drivers fighting it out well into their late 30s and early 40s. But on the other, we have Max Verstappen, who is still only 26, yet he has spoken candidly about his retirement multiple times. And so, this begs two questions. First, what’s his motivation to keep going in Formula 1? And second, why he doesn’t care about winning a certain number of championships? The first one is easy enough to answer. He just does it for the fun of it and because he loves racing. It’s the second question that he recently touched upon.

Max Verstappen is happy with what he has achieved in Formula 1 so far

The Dutchman has made it clear in the past that he doesn’t like the direction in which F1 is heading. The ever-expanding F1 calendar and the push towards more sustainable engines and fuels have left Verstappen unimpressed. In a recent conversation with Motorsport, he explained that he wouldn’t mind staying longer if the number of races decreased. However, he also understands this is unlikely to happen due to the significant financial stakes involved in each Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old emphasized that the quality of life is much more important to him, expressing how the constant traveling and marketing obligations can take a toll on one’s happiness, regardless of how much money you earn. Regarding the number of championships, he feels content with what he has already achieved in F1, stating he doesn’t need more titles to validate his career. “I don’t have to stay for the performance. I have already achieved more than I could ever have dreamed of,” he told Motorsport.

When asked about winning 7 or 8 championships to go down as the most successful driver in history, the Dutchman said, “But once you stop racing, it doesn’t matter if you have become world champion three times, five times or seven times. For how I live on, it doesn’t matter… Once you stop Formula 1, the book is closed for me and then it’s done. Then I don’t care what other people think about that.“

It’s clear that Max Verstappen is very pragmatic in his approach to life and racing. As he has said himself, his life doesn’t revolve around Formula 1.

Verstappen has quite a bit of interest in Endurance Racing

The Dutchman has aspirations of winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, about which he has already spoken to Fernando Alonso, who has won that race before. Verstappen expressed a preference for endurance racing over something like IndyCar, especially since he’s not a fan of oval tracks. Speaking on racing in the WEC alongside Formula 1, the reigning champion said, “If you’re not working on it full-time, then I don’t feel like I can take it seriously enough. It’s either one hundred percent or not.“

At this point, it’s also well known that the 26-year-old enjoys sim racing and sees it as more than just gaming. He even has his own team called ‘Team Redline’, which he often races for. So that’s something he might continue to do in the future as well.

READ MORE: “Fashion Is an Option”: Max Verstappen’s Post F1 Retirement Plans Revealed by CEO of His Personal Brand

Do you think Max Verstappen will hang up his helmet at the end of his current deal with Red Bull in 2028? Let us know what your thoughts are on the matter.