Christian Horner says he doesn’t believe that Max Verstappen will replicate Fernando Alonso and continue racing in Formula 1 into his 40s.
Verstappen, currently 25 years of age, is contracted at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 campaign.
The Dutchman won his maiden F1 title in 2021 following a season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton and dominated the 2022 season en route to a second championship.
Verstappen has long said that he wants to compete in other forms of racing such as endurance competition before he hangs up his helmet.
Alonso, who moved to Aston Martin from Alpine this year, is currently operating at a high level despite being 41 years old.
But Red Bull team boss Horner doesn’t see Verstappen emulating the Spaniard’s lengthy career in F1.
“There’s always going to be rumours in this paddock that’s Formula 1,” he told Sky Sports News.
“Max is his own man and he’s very, very strong in his opinions and his outlook on what he wants to do in his life.
“I don’t see him being a Fernando Alonso and still racing at 41 or 42 years of age, or maybe not in Formula 1.”
Verstappen has also threatened to quit F1 if it continues to alter its “DNA” amid discussions over less practice time and more focus on competitive sessions.
The two-time World Champion’s passion for racing is well-documented, and he often spends his time away from F1 weekends competing in sim racing sessions.
“His love and passion is racing,” Horner added. “And if he’s not racing on track at the moment, he’s racing in the virtual world.
“He’s driving GT cars for fun and his passion is just driving and racing while that burns within him, he’s going to keep going.
“But how long that burns for, I don’t think anybody can [predict]. Each individual’s own journey is their own. They have got to find that out for themselves.”
Discussion about this post