- Max Verstappen does not have ambitions to break F1 title championship records set by his rival Lewis Hamilton
- Hamilton has seven championships so far and he is still hoping for an eighth
- With a new rule cycle starting 2026, Red Bull’s winning streak could come to an abrupt end
Two-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen does not have ambitions to break F1 title championship records set by his rival Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull driver spoke about this in the heat of the reintroduction of sprint races in the grid which he is against.
He set the record straight that he is not interested in winning eight F1 titles because he is happy with racing.
“I’m not interested in winning seven or eight titles,” Verstappen told BBC Sports adding that if one has a powerful car like Red Bull, one can make great progress in F1.
He said that he wants to race and be happy because he wins and earns pretty well in F1. However, sprint races are watering down his happiness in Formula One.
Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull ends in 2028 and with his record on the tracks, he could win more F1 titles by 2026.
Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton. Photo by Crash.net
Still, he will not make it to seven world championships which Hamilton is currently enjoying as he ponders over his eighth.
On the other hand, many motorsports pundits argue that Red Bull’s winning streak could end in 2026 as Honda Corporation will not manufacture its engine.
Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe hinted that it was Red Bull that ended discussions about a 2026 Formula 1 engine collaboration and opted to go with Ford instead.
Red Bull and Honda first worked together in F1 in 2018 and later added Red Bull Racing in 2019. Despite Honda’s formal exit from F1 at the end of 2021, there is still an engine supply deal in place until the end of 2025.
At the time Honda left, it had discussed extending its partnership with Red Bull into the new rules cycle in 2026.
However, this would have been a different arrangement because Red Bull had created a new engine subsidiary named Red Bull Powertrains at an enormous expense.
With these rule changes in F1 come 2026, Audi and Porsche will be the other entrants in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen second win. Photo by The SportsRush
Given the expectations of 2026, Verstappen is keeping his love for racing at heart and nothing more. Besides, Hamilton is now in his sunset years in Formula One and he is set to retire in a couple of seasons.
Moreover, the tight schedule with sprint races is pushing him off the limits and he is open to reconsidering his stand to stay on until 2028.
Verstappen argues that he values his life outside the tracks and that having sprint races included in the 23-race calendar is a recipe for chaos.
“I want to do other things, other competitions… I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where maybe you want to do other stuff.
“I have the contract until the end of 2028 and then we’ll review again, but I do feel that if it’s getting at one point too much, then it’s time for a change,” he added.
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