Max Verstappen has delivered bad news to Charles Leclerc after revealing that he would be open to driving for Ferrari in the future. The reigning world champion is signed on to Red Bull until 2028 but has not ruled out switching teams if his car is no longer ‘dominant’.
Verstappen has eased to successive World Championships and is on course to secure three-consecutive titles after a stunning start to 2023. The 25-year-old has won five of the seven Grands Prix so far this year.
However, after hinting that he could make an early exit from Formula One earlier this year, speculation has mounted over Verstappen’s future beyond 2028. He has insisted that he could remain in the sport.
That, though, depends on Red Bull’s performances closer to the end of his deal. If the team are no longer dominant, the Dutchman claims he could switch to Ferrari.
“It will also be up to how competitive we are between here and 2028. I think it would be difficult to leave with a dominant project,” Verstappen told Sky Sports in bad news for current Ferrari man Leclerc, who would suffer from the move.
“They often ask me if he has a dream team: I know that Ferrari has a unique history in Formula One. It’s a team that would be great to run for.
“However, I’ve always told myself that I just want to be on the fastest car.”
Verstappen says he is ‘convinced’ that he will still be at the peak of his powers when his current contract expires, by which time he will be 31. He added: “I know that when the current contract is concluded I will be 31 years old and it will be a point where I will have been running in Formula One for a long time.
“I like to win, be competitive, but if you can’t fully motivate yourself to go to every race, then you have to ask yourself if you really want to continue.
“I love the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the duration races, I love watching the GT3 cars turn at the Nurburgring. These are all things I want to try in my life and don’t want to do them when I’m 40 or 50 years old because then I won’t be at the peak of my performance anymore.
“When I’m 31, I’m pretty convinced that I’m still able to do great things.”
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