Max Verstappen opens up about the big F1 choice that changed his career
Max Verstappen has shared more about the future of his racing career with his team, Verstappen Racing. The four-time F1 champion is currently sixth in the 2026 standings and hasn’t won a race yet this year. He’s aiming for a fifth Championship, but with only four podium finishes and 109 points, it’s been a tough season for both him and his car.
Back in 2022, Verstappen started his own racing team, which has competed in different GT3 races. He even drove for Verstappen Racing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May. During that race, Verstappen and his teammates—Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer—led for most of the event, but a broken driveshaft stopped them from winning with four hours left.
Verstappen Racing is still growing, and Max says the goal is for the team to “compete for victories in various racing classes” over the next 10 to 20 years. He also made it clear that the team won’t be moving into Formula 1 anytime soon.
Talking to Formule 1 Magazine, Verstappen said, “[Verstappen Racing is] not going to compete just for fun. We want to be at the front, win races, and regularly compete at the top. Nothing less, nothing more.” He added that the team plans to expand mainly into endurance racing, not Formula 1.
Verstappen, who is interested in trying other types of races besides F1, firmly ruled out his team joining the F1 grid. “No, that’s way too demanding,” he said. “I’d still be busy with 24 races a year or with my team all the time.”
He did mention that hiring others to run the F1 team might be possible, but quickly dismissed the idea. “If you want to do it right, you have to be hands-on and involved all the time. I can’t just relax for five races and not know what’s happening with my team. That would stress me out, and I don’t want that.”
Max has often said that after his F1 career ends, he plans to focus more on GT and endurance racing. So fans can expect Verstappen Racing to grow in those areas in the years ahead.