Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko has said Max Verstappen's current dominance of Formula 1 won't cause the Dutchman to lose his motivation to compete.
Having won the last two Drivers' Championships, Verstappen seems nailed-on to take a hat-trick this year, having won all but two available races up until F1's summer break.
However, Marko said the Dutchman's drive to win remains undimmed, citing a heated conversation with engineer Giampiero Lambiase during Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix as evidence of his continued desire.
"No, I don't believe [complacency] will be the case with Verstappen," Marko told Motorsport Magazin.
"He always wants the best. At Spa he still had discussions with his race engineer [Lambiase], who is almost becoming a cult hero.
“In Q2, Verstappen advanced to Q3 in tenth place. 'I'm not satisfied with tenth place', was the exasperated answer. Verstappen always wants to drive at the front."
"Just like when it comes to the fastest lap. Verstappen also wants that point. We then have to weigh up: how much risk does it entail if we make an extra stop?
"We prefer to avoid it, but Max is a perfectionist, he wants to win in all situations."
Marko added, however, that after having already won two titles, Verstappen now picks his battles more carefully.
"Over time, Verstappen has matured, and especially after winning his first world title, he takes less risks," said Marko.
"At the same time, he has learned to read the races better. He gets everything, during a race he can even just chat on the radio."
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When will Verstappen leave F1?
Despite – or perhaps because of – his current run of success, Verstappen has previously intimated that he has no desire to keep racing into his 40s, as rivals such as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen have done, and Marko added that he did not expect to see Verstappen in F1 at such an age.
"I don't think he's a type that will last for long like Alonso, for example," said Marko.
"One day he will say, 'this is it', when he is no longer having fun or the pressure is gone.
"What we sometimes forget is that Max has to spend a day in the simulator before every race.
"He has already fewer marketing obligations, but there are still a few days left. He has to maintain his fitness level. This leaves relatively little time for free time."
Verstappen's current Red Bull contract expires at the end of 2028, when the Dutchman will be 31 and will likely have competed in more than 300 Grands Prix.
By such a point, Verstappen could conceivably have bested Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher's joint record of seven World Championship titles, but Marko noted that Verstappen's continued participation in F1 would depend chiefly on whether he continues to find the sport enjoyable.
"Whether he continues after 2028 depends on how the sport develops," said Marko.
"If it no longer appeals to him, if the fascination is gone, I can imagine him hanging up his helmet.
"I don't think he will insist on continuing until he has that record of world titles. There has to be inspiration, there has to be passion."
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