Verstappen has 'strength of character' to know when to quit F1 - Horner

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner feels Max Verstappen will not be defined by F1, and will know exactly when it call it a day.

The subject of Verstappen's future has been speculated upon for some time, not least as suitors such as Mercedes and Aston Martin continue to court the four-time champion.

Additionally, Verstappen has often grumbled about certain aspects of F1 that have led to periods of disenchantment, making it clear he would not be afraid to walk away if circumstances forced his hand.

At present, the Dutch driver has another four years on his Red Bull contract, which runs to the end of 2028. Beyond that is open to conjecture as he has often made clear his desire to compete in other areas of motorsport.

Horner does not doubt that when Verstappen falls out of love with F1, he will quit rather than soldier on.

Asked how much longer he felt Verstappen would continue in F1, Horner replied: "Honestly, Max is his own man.

"From all the conversations that have been covered by you guys, it's clear he doesn't see himself being a Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton and around in the sport for the next 15 years or so.

"He's got interests outside of Formula 1. He enjoys driving GT cars, simulators, LMP cars.

"He's very old school in many respects in that he just wants to drive, and some of the noise and circus around Formula 1 doesn't sit comfortably with him.

"I think that so long as he's getting the enjoyment out of what he does, he'll do it. But as soon as that enjoyment drops, he's got the strength of character and personality to say, 'Do you know what? I'm going to go and drive GTs next year?'

"He's unique in that sense that Formula 1 doesn't define him. He's doing it because he enjoys and loves it, and as soon as that enjoyment and love dips, he will go and do something else."

Horner, though, is far from concerned, appreciating the fact that Verstappen is a Red Bull driver for the foreseeable future.

"We are very grateful that he's our driver, and hopefully that will remain the case for many years to come, at least until '28," said Horner.

"Nobody has a crystal ball. He's comfortable in the environment he has, and he works very well with the engineering team."

Referring to last year, Horner added that Verstappen "had to work harder than ever, roll up his sleeves and dig in with the team behind the scenes, working on the simulator, working with the aerodynamicists, the vehicle dynamicists, the design engineers, all of the different groups to extract the maximum performance.

"He made another step in that respect."

Although Verstappen embarked on a run of 10 grand prix without a victory at one stage, his worst drought for four years, Horner failed to spot a moment when the enjoyment dipped for the 27-year-old.

"You can see the passion and commitment is there," assessed Horner, before referring to Verstappen's remarkable triumph in the São Paolo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid.

"And you can see what Brazil meant to him winning that race. I'd never seen him as animated after a grand prix as he was on that day. You could see just what it meant to him."