Max Verstappen interested in driving for Ferrari before he retires from F1 

A certain four-time world champion once said, “Everyone is a Ferrari fan.” There seems to be a lot of truth in this saying, with three-time world champion Max Verstappen admitting his admiration for the Italian outfit.

The Dutchman is currently the second highest-paid driver in the F1 paddock behind Sir Lewis Hamilton, keeping him with Red Bull Racing until at least 2028. Despite this, there has been plenty of speculation regarding his future from various media outlets.

The Dutch driver has spoken about potentially driving for Ferrari. Although he is committed to Red Bull, recent comments suggest that driving for the Maranello outfit is one of his ambitions.

“It has an incredible history in this sport and is a great opponent to compete against,” said Max to Sportweek.

“Future at Ferrari? When my current contract expires I will be 31 years old and I think I can still do well."

The Dutch driver has been a revelation ever since making his debut and has set the benchmark in the sport. The triple world champion, over the last couple of years, has shown a level of maturity and dominance that supersedes even the previously dominant reigns.

However, with all of this success, one question lingers: Whether Max Verstappen would ever be interested in leaving Red Bull and joining Ferrari, just like his predecessor Sebastian Vettel did?

In an interview with Sky during the summer break, Verstappen hinted that the only way he would ever drive for Ferrari is if the team could offer him the fastest car on the grid.

“People always ask me if I have a dream team. I know Ferrari has an amazing history in Formula 1 and is an amazing team to race for, but I always said to myself I just want to be in the fastest car. I had to wait a few years to be in the fastest car and now we do have the fastest car and that is a great feeling," he said.

“At this stage, if it happens, it happens but I’m very happy where I am and for me personally, the desire of having to drive for one particular team at all costs, no," the Dutchman added.

Such comments are common across the F1 grid, especially from drivers with World Championships. Lewis Hamilton, for example, has spoken on several occasions about his admiration for Ferrari and their achievements in Formula 1. However, for one reason or another, a move never materialised. 

Earlier, there were even reports of talks between Hamilton and Ferrari during the start of the season, with the British driver’s relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur further fueling speculations.

Moreover, a couple of Verstappen's idols, such as Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, tried to secure the all-elusive world title for the Italian outfit. But for various reasons, neither succeeded in getting over that final hurdle.

With that in mind, Max Verstappen could create massive shockwaves if he ever moves to Ferrari. Besides, his all-time status would undoubtedly be bolstered if he could win in that Scarlet Ferrari.

However, even the possibility of this happening any time soon is unlikely. This is especially true given that, at least for now, Charles Leclerc is established as the number one at Maranello

Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how the F1 driver market evolves. Although Max is unlikely to make a dramatic move and shock the F1 paddock anytime soon, his affinity for Ferrari is worth noting.