Verstappen: I won't continue racing after I turn 40

Speaking to the Dutch website Limburger, 25-year-old Verstappen - fresh from winning his second F1 title with a record 15 victories for Red Bull - cites too many races in a season for his reasoning.

Verstappen said: "Traveling a lot for F1 is nice but it comes with sacrifices, that's why I don't want to race until I'm 40."

Indeed the first and only Dutch F1 World Champion has galvanised his nation, much like Michael Schumacher did in Germany a quarter of a century ago, and as Ayrton Senna did for Brazil before then.

As a result, another talented Dutch ace will hit the top flight in the form of Nyck de Vries, and a pipeline of talent from the motorsport 'mad' nation is now officially open, with a great deal of thanks due to Max.

Deservedly, Verstappen is taking a well-earned break before things get serious again for 2023, in which he starts as the outright favourite as he targets a third F1 world title in a row, but before then he is taking a well-deserved break.

Verstappen admitted: “It's very nice to do nothing and rest after a very long and beautiful season. This also pleases my body, which is not under for a while. Kelly and I are going on vacation after Christmas, after which I'll focus on the season ahead."

At the same time Max revealed how 22-race season was taxing, and next year it gets even longer with 24 races thanks to the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the return of the Qatar Grand Prix.

And, sadly, the calendar extension does not inspire Verstappen: "It's the main reason why I won't continue racing after I turn 40.

"Traveling a lot and related things are not healthy, for now, I like them, but they come with sacrifices. It seems absurd because driving F1 is obviously the dream of many, but when you are very far from home and from those you love.

"There comes a moment when you say enough. I'll keep working hard until then, then if I still have fun for the same money, otherwise I'll do something else."

Referring to the 'Schumacher effect' that the great German had on his nation, it is worth noting that while the euphoria of supporting their national hero was palpable every time he raced - grandstands turned Red in support - when he quit, interest in F1 plummeted in his homeland.

His brief comeback for Mercedes was a mere final cameo for Schumacher, real Schumi-mania in F1 began in the mid-nineties and continued through to the mid-2000s which inspired an influx of German talent into the top flight, including F1 world champions Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg - but the Schumi 'fever' has never been the same, for whatever reason.

On the subject of life after Max in F1, Verstappen ventured: "You know what I really hope for? That as a racing driver I have been able to inspire and motivate the young Dutch generation in such a way that by the time I stop there may be new talent ready.

"It used to be said that it was impossible for the Dutch to make it to Formula 1. That is not true. If you hit the gas, it doesn't matter where you come from. I hope that when I am 31, there will be a new one ready."

Son of a handy kart racer Sophie Kumpen and F1 driver Jos Verstappen, Max has motorsport in his DNA, pretty much like his off-spring will have should he have children with current partner Kelly Piquet, herself a daughter of a great race driver.

Thus the question of his own kids racing arose, to which Verstappen replied: "I definitely want kids and if they want to race, that's fine. I do think I would do it differently than how my father and I did it. I don't see that at the moment.

"But it's easy for me to talk because I don't have kids. Maybe I'll think very differently when the time comes. But, the passion my father had went very far, he did everything for me, tuning engines, preparing karts. I don't see myself doing that.

"In any case, I'm not going to push my kids to race. They have to want it themselves and if you do go all out with your son or daughter, I think then you can no longer drive in F1 yourself. You have to start laying the foundation from the age of four. I want to be there myself.”

If there is one universal low from 2022, it was the increased rotting of social media platforms across the internet, abuse, hatred, racism, fake followers has turned these mass communication tools into cesspools which a concerned Verstappen spoke against many times this past year, along with his colleagues including Lewis Hamilton.

Max explained: “I just don't feel the need to show my private life to the outside world. Kelly also does it much less than before. When I'm ever done with F1 I don't see myself posting very much after that. I just don't like it.

"Some people do nothing else all day, I'm busy with other things. For example, I spend quite a lot of time on my phone, but that's more to arrange things around my sim team (virtual racing, ed.). It also takes a lot of time, but because it is my passion, I really enjoy working on it.”

On track, Verstappen was peerless as he single-handedly dominated the season to take title number two and with Sergio Perez, returned Red Bull to F1 constructors champions for the first time since 2013.

His highlights of the year: "In terms of race, that was the victory in Spa from the midfield. It was really great how everything came together for us there. Our car was perfect. Winning the world title was of course the highlight.

"When you're done and you look back, you don't think about how you became F1 world champion. What matters is that you became it. The way doesn't matter. My father and I have always said that to each other: it doesn't matter how you win, as long as you win," concluded Verstappen.