Nico Rosberg casts early Max Verstappen F1 retirement verdict

Nico Rosberg believes it is “possible” that Max Verstappen could decide to hang up his helmet and retire from F1 early.

Verstappen claimed his fourth successive world championship last term and has a contract with Red Bull which runs to the end of 2028.

Despite all his success, the 27-year-old Dutchman’s future has regularly been a talking point amid speculation he could join a rival team such as Mercedes, or quit F1 altogether.

Rosberg, who announced his own shock retirement just days after beating Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to win his first world title in 2016, does not think it would be surprising to see Verstappen call time on his career early.

“It’s possible,” the German told Italian publication Gazzetta Dello Sport. “Max has already achieved so much despite his young age.

“The intensity of Formula 1 leaves a mark on you, both mentally and physically. If he feels he has achieved what he set out to do, and he wants more out of life, I would understand his choice.”

And Rosberg, the son of Finnish 1982 world champion Keke, insisted he has no regrets about his decision to retire aged 31 just five days after his championship triumph.

“No, I have no regrets,” Rosberg stressed. “I realised my dream of becoming world champion and I wanted to leave at the peak of my career.

“By retiring I was able to spend more time with my family and start my career as an investor. I did what I felt was right for me.”

Verstappen’s repeated future hints

Verstappen has frequently hinted that he will not hang around in F1 forever and has outlined his desire to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours and try out other sportscar categories.

"For me, it is not just Formula 1," Verstappen told Dutch broadcaster Viaplay. "After that, I also want to do a lot of things and I am also thinking about that. Who are the right partners for that? So yes, those are things that I think about, but I do not necessarily have to make a decision about that now.

"I have multiple goals after Formula 1 - endurance, my own team, there are a lot of things involved. And of course, there has to be a programme in the end. And who are you going to do that with? Those are also conversations that I have.

"A lot of teams [could help with that]; Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, it doesn’t even have to do with Formula 1 itself. Red Bull, of course, they also do a lot outside of Formula 1. So, I’m keeping all options open there and, in the end, I’ll choose what I think is best.”