Max Verstappen has big ambitions for his own team, but the four-time world champion has already set a very clear limit.
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Max Verstappen intends to grow Verstappen Racing over the coming years, but the arrival of his own team in Formula 1 is absolutely not part of his plans.
The Dutchman created the structure bearing his name in 2022 and has since been gradually developing its activities in various GT competitions. The Red Bull driver has personally been involved behind the wheel, notably participating in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this year.
Still relatively young, Verstappen Racing nevertheless shows great ambitions. For its founder, there is no question of simply participating: his team must be capable of regularly fighting for the top positions.
Verstappen wants to build a team capable of winning
Asked by Formule 1 Magazine about the situation in which he would like to see his team in ten or twenty years, Verstappen set a particularly clear goal.
“By then, there must be a professional team capable of fighting for victory in different automotive categories.”
“Nothing more, nothing less. We are not going to participate just because it’s fun to race. We want to be at the front, win races, and at a minimum, constantly fight at the forefront.”
The four-time world champion thus wants to impose a high level of demand on his project. Its development will nevertheless partly depend on the trajectory his own career will take over the coming years.
“This demand must always be present. The speed at which we pursue our development also depends a bit on my own choices for the coming years and what I will do in Formula 1.”
Endurance rather than Formula 1
If Verstappen Racing is to continue growing, its founder already knows in which direction he wants to steer the team.
“The goal is clearly to continue developing the team. More specifically towards endurance racing, not towards Formula 1 or something like that.”
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A choice not surprising given Verstappen’s long-standing interest in GT and endurance racing. The Dutchman has regularly expressed his desire to participate more in this type of event once he has ended his Formula 1 career.
But when asked if his team could nevertheless end up joining the F1 grid one day, his answer is categorical.
“No! Because it would be far too demanding.”
“It would cause me too much stress”
Verstappen believes that becoming the owner of a Formula 1 team would require him to maintain a lifestyle close to what he currently experiences as a driver.
“I would still be on the road for 24 races a year or extremely busy with my own team.”
Delegating some responsibilities would not be enough to convince him either. The Red Bull driver believes that a truly involved owner must personally follow the operation of his team.
“Delegating some things? Yes, that’s possible. But I think if you are a truly involved owner and want everything done properly, you have to stay informed about everything and be present on site.”
Even surrounded by a team capable of managing daily operations, Verstappen does not see himself distancing himself from his project.
“Of course, you also need people capable of effectively managing the team’s daily activities, but I’m not the kind of person who could lie on a beach for five races without knowing what’s going on in my team.”
“That would cause me way too much stress, and I don’t want that.”
The future of Verstappen Racing should therefore be built far from Formula 1. With a clear priority given to endurance, Verstappen already seems to be preparing a project likely to take a much more important place in his life when he decides to turn the page on his F1 career.
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