Max Verstappen put on the spot with difficult question

Max Verstappen has revealed he would choose a fifth F1 drivers' championship over victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, despite having openly questioned his long-term future in the sport in recent weeks.

The four-time world champion made this clear when faced with a hypothetical choice that could define his racing legacy.

The pressure was on during 'An Evening with Max Verstappen,' where Dutch presenter Frank Evenblij presented the Red Bull driver with the challenging decision between two major racing milestones.

It comes at a point at which Verstappen is frustrated with the new F1 regulations, and Red Bull has stumbled out of the gate to start the 2026 campaign.

The RB22 has proven troublesome, and despite the Milton Keynes-based team doing a good job with its fledgling power unit with Ford, the 28-year-old finds himself languishing in ninth in the standings after three rounds.

On top of that, and his love of endurance racing, Verstappen has long harboured the desire to compete in the world's most iconic 24-hour race, and has even mooted doing so alongside fellow F1 driver Fernando Alonso in the past.

However, when asked to make the difficult choice between winning a fifth F1 title and triumphing at Le Mans, Verstappen was decisive in his answer.

"No, I would always choose the fifth world title," Verstappen said. "When I'm older, I can still do the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That fifth world title becomes more difficult."

But given Red Bull's torrid situation early in the season, he lightheartedly acknowledged that he is not in a position to add another championship to his collection this term.

"It's not going to happen this season," the 71-time grand prix winner added. "But at Le Mans you can compete until you're 45."