Verstappen takes Rossi as example: 'This is how I want to pursue my career'

Max Verstappen takes Valentino Rossi as an example of how to continue his career in motorsport. The Dutchman now dominates in Formula 1 but does not plan to continue doing so all his life.

Verstappen has already made no secret over the years that F1 is not the place for him to be active at 40. Where Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso keep going, Verstappen wants to do more than drive laps in the pinnacle of motorsport. In a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Verstappen cited Rossi as an example of that.

''I will race longer, but not in Grands Prix. It would be nice to do it like Valentino Rossi. I like to see his races in GT, a category where I can also see myself driving because we have a car there ourselves,'' Verstappen said to the pink newspaper.

What Verstappen likes about Rossi

After an impressive MotoGP career in which Rossi became world champion no less than seven times in the top class, he opted for the GT World Challenge in 2022 and will drive in the 24-hour series for the WRT Team in 2023. In addition, Rossi will most likely also compete in the famous 12 Hours of Bathurst.

''He has achieved everything in MotoGP that he could achieve with a crazy career. Now he is having fun, while still working hard and wanting to win. I think I'm looking for something similar for my future.''

For now, a departure from F1 is not yet an option for the Dutchman. The Red Bull Racing driver just secured his third world title in 2023 and is still fixed until 2028. After that, it will mainly depend on the speed of his car whether Verstappen remains active in the sport for long, although technical rules are also an important issue for the three-time world champion.