Verstappen future revealed once he retires from F1

Helmut Marko has revealed where Max Verstappen will race once the three-time champion retires from F1.

Verstappen's long-term future in grand prix racing has been in doubt at times as he has grown frustrated with the direction of F1, including sprint races and events such as Las Vegas, which he described last year as "99 per cent show, one per cent sport".

The 26-year-old, whose current Red Bull contract expires at the end of the 2028 season when he will be 31, has signalled a desire not to be in F1 during his late 30s and early 40s, unlike Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. 

Verstappen has keen interests outside of F1, including sim racing, but it is one of motorsport's iconic events Red Bull advisor Marko feels Verstappen will head to after calling it a day from F1.

"First of all, I’m not looking for a new Max because Max is unique, and it will be difficult for anyone to be his team-mate," Marko told grandprix247.com. 

“Maybe Liam Lawson or Arvid Lindblad will be ready in two or three years for Red Bull Racing, and I'm not sure if Max will be racing at the time.

"If Max feels he doesn’t enjoy F1 anymore, he doesn’t want it, he will come to us and say, 'Thank you, that’s it.'

"He will stay in racing [after leaving F1]. 

"I guess one of his dreams is to go to Le Mans with [father] Jos. That will be an experience.

"I don’t want to be the team principal there because of those two strong characters, but it could be a fantastic experience."

Vettel vs Verstappen

Marko also compared the two world champions to have driven for Red Bull - Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. 

Whilst he was reluctant to share the unique traits of each, the veteran Austrian did allude to how the German and Dutch drivers differed in their approach upon getting in the car.

"Each driver is different and we don’t really compare, but Seb is a driver who works into each detail and needs a lot of technical feedback before he goes fast," Marko explained. 

"But once he has everything under control, he’s delivering.

"Max is a more natural driver. He just jumps in the car and is quick. Max is just about racing. 

"You know, after a grand prix, he jumps on his sim racing seat, which is very difficult for me to understand but he likes it. 

"He’s also very interested in sports. Max knows a lot about football, he’s completely focused on the sports world and the sports personalities.

“Both Seb and Max have their own opinion and are not shy to speak out. 

"Seb like Max, just wants to have the best car and he lives his own life.

"But the commitment of Max is so unbelievable. The greatest advantage of Max is he doesn’t need any warm-up."