It's not a surprise, as the fresh four-time world champion has stated countless times on various forums that no matter how much he loves and respects Formula 1, there is life beyond it. And he wants to experience that...
This was hinted at by the Dutch superstar's father, Jos Verstappen, who revealed that he knows his son has a plan to take a year off from the F1 World Championship:
"He has a live contract with Red Bull Racing until 2028, but after that, nothing is set in stone. We'll see if he's still interested in F1 after that... Throughout his career, everyone has always told him what to do and how to do it. Now he's approaching the point where he won't listen to anyone anymore; he will make his own decisions. One thing is for sure, there is life outside of Formula 1, and this excites Max's imagination a lot.
I can imagine that he might take a year off, try himself somewhere else, and then come back. I don’t know what will happen, but one thing is certain: he is not motivated by winning seven or eight world championships; he doesn't chase records either, he is already more than satisfied with what he has achieved in his Formula 1 career so far.” - Verstappen's father made quite an interesting statement.
Do you see Max packing up and just leaving one day?
