Max Verstappen has cautioned his fans not to expect a lengthy Formula 1 career, even as he closes in on his fourth consecutive world championship.
"I'm not going to do what Fernando (Alonso) did, I can assure you that," the Red Bull driver told the Podpah podcast.
Alonso, like Verstappen, debuted as a teenager, but he is still racing at 43. Verstappen, now 27, sees no appeal in such longevity.
"For me, that's just too much of a good thing," Verstappen admitted. "I love what I do, but I've already achieved what I wanted to achieve personally. Everything else is a bonus.
"When you win your eighth or ninth title, it's just more of the same. You become world champion, and world champion, and world champion. Then your next title is not special.
"I'm not going to be around long enough to win ten or twelve world titles," he warned.
While Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, his deal includes exit clauses, and he openly admits to frustrations with modern Formula 1.
"In karting, it wasn't that political. We just had fun, and it was about the racing," he said. "In Formula 1, it's not just about the driving. That was the case in the past, and it's gotten even worse now."
Social media, he said, is particularly aggravating.
"Everyone is sitting on the couch and has an opinion," Verstappen said. "It's a bit silly. They are better than us, they just don't have a car. That's how they see it. They can't do anything, but they know a lot. That's just annoying."
Looking ahead, Verstappen is excited about post-retirement opportunities.
"Of course I have my contract," he said, "but I'm not going to continue until I'm 40. I also want to do other things, and I'm relaxed about that.
"I also want to do other kinds of racing, but we now have 24 grands prix a year, which is a lot. If you have the car for it, it's good to be able to win more titles, but when you look back, later in life, you don't want to say that you've raced for 40 years.
"I'm at the peak of my life now, and I don't want to think when I'm 60 about how I can be faster. At some point, you become more relaxed."
One of Verstappen's post-F1 passions, which he is already developing, is supporting young talent.
"I also want to help young talents who don't have the chance to start their careers like I did," he said. "I want to create an online world and offer them the chance to move to the real world. I want to invest time in that and make sure it works."
Sim racing with his team, Redline, is another passion.
"I want to find people worldwide and offer them the chance to drive, if they don't have the budget for it now," Verstappen added.
Max's father, Jos Verstappen, has noticed his son's growing frustration with Formula 1's relentless schedule.
"I can tell that the number of races in Formula 1 is becoming too much for many drivers, Max included," Jos told his website. "He's always been very outspoken about it.
"When I started, there were only about 16 or 17 races. Now, there are 24, and you can feel it with everyone – mechanics included – who are always on the road.
"Max is away even more because he also has to do simulator work and sponsor commitments. You can't imagine how often he's away from home."
As for life after racing, Max ruled out a role as an F1 commentator.
"Look, it's perfectly fine to have your own opinion, because I have one too," he said. "I don't always say it, because if I always give my own opinion, we can't broadcast it on television very often.
"That's why I should never become a commentator. That might be nice for me, but not for the rest. So I'll just go and drink gin and tonics." body check tags ::
