The retirement of Max Verstappen from the Formula 1 spotlight may be approaching, following intriguing rumors linking him to the GTWC Europe.
As the lights go out at the Australian Grand Prix on the third Sunday of March 2025, Max Verstappen will embark on his 11th season in Formula 1. At just 27 years old, he has already secured four consecutive world titles. This season, however, the Dutchman will also renew his role as a father, following the announcement of his partner Kelly Piquet’s pregnancy, revealed on the eve of the final race weekend of the previous season. Their daughter, P, is now set to become a big sister.
Many speculated about how fatherhood could impact Verstappen’s career and the possibility of an early retirement from racing. As far back as 2022, in an interview with De Limburger, Verstappen expressed his desire to explore racing beyond Formula 1 once his contract with Red Bull, set to expire in 2028, comes to an end. However, according to the Italian outlet AutoRacer, those plans might be accelerated.
Rumors surrounding the 1997-born driver’s involvement in GT racing are gaining credibility, suggesting that Verstappen could make his debut in the GT World Challenge Europe by SRO as early as 2025. One factor potentially influencing this decision is the direction being taken by both the FIA and Liberty Media—an evolution in F1 that Verstappen, now a soon-to-be father, has never fully supported.
Another key element in Verstappen’s potential transition to GT racing is his collaboration with Thierry Vermeulen, a young driver mentored by Verstappen’s father, Jos, and a part of the Verstappen.com Racing X Red Bull project. Together, the Verstappens have already had the opportunity to test in Tuscany alongside esports racer Chris Lulham.
Additionally, the Dutchman may already be planning a future entry into the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, potentially alongside Fernando Alonso. In a recent interview with The Mirror, Verstappen confirmed his interest in racing with the Spanish two-time F1 champion.
““I’ve spoken to Fernando about it. He told me he would only want to do it with me. I thought, ‘Wow, that would be really cool.’ The only issue is that at Le Mans, there is no minimum driver weight. I’m quite heavy, so I’d need lightweight teammates to balance it out. Fernando is quite light, so he’d be perfect. But we’d still need to find another driver, so we’ll have to think about it carefully, ” Verstappen said.
For now, there are no official confirmations from Verstappen himself. Looking ahead to 2025, he remains fully committed to Red Bull’s Formula 1 team, led by Christian Horner. However, a new update could emerge before the start of the GTWC Europe season, which kicks off from April 11 to 13 at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Photo: Max Verstappen.