Max Verstappen reveals stimulation wish after F1 retirement

Max Verstappen has revealed his wish for motorsport in the Netherlands to remain popular once he retires and to continue producing exciting young talent.

The four-time world champion is set to go down in history as a Formula 1 legend, having claimed four consecutive drivers' titles from 2021 to 2024.

He is comfortably the most successful Dutch driver in the nation’s history, but is expected to move on from F1 in the short- to medium-term future.

Verstappen, at 28 years old, has made it no secret that he does not want to spend his entire career competing in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Red Bull’s star driver has a strong love for GT racing and is eager to compete in the World Endurance Championship before his peak years are over.

While this is what Verstappen desires from his own career, he is also keen to see young talent continue to emerge from his home country and "fall in love" with motorsport.

Asked how he keeps himself grounded knowing he will be called an F1 legend in 20 to 30 years, Verstappen told TAG Heuer's Beyond the Racetrack: "That's a good question, to be honest. 20 to 30 years down the line, I have no idea. I don't even know exactly what I will be doing then, but those four titles will stand.

"So that's for sure—no one can take that away from me. It will always be a big part of my life, racing and F1 as well. And being a Dutch racing driver, I hope that, of course, even when I stop, we have new talent coming through.

"And also for national motorsport, that it stays alive to stimulate the local population. Seeing them just fall in love with racing, sometimes I still surprise myself. You come out of a race and you're like, 'All right, that's pretty good,' or the desire and hunger to perform is there.

"So I don't know. I mean, yes, I hope that over the next five years there's still a lot more progression to come. It depends on a lot of things. You know, everything has to come together."