Max Verstappen has shared why he never wants to own a Formula 1 team when he retires

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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen gave fans a glimpse of his plans for when he decides to stop racing in Formula 1 ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen showcased his racing talents at the Nordschleife after winning in Baku.

The Red Bull star took part in his first GT3 race, and, alongside Chris Lulham, won on his debut in a four-hour race at the Nurburgring.

Verstappen has further plans to continue his endurance racing, but needs to find a way to balance that with his Formula 1 commitments.

Team principal Laurent Mekies will recognise that keeping Verstappen happy while not sacrificing any commitment to F1 is a difficult equilibrium to find.

The four-time champion is already looking to the future and has previously spoken about not wanting to commit his entire racing career to Formula 1.

That has led to him setting up a sim racing team that also supports his father’s rallying exploits and his manager’s son in the ADAC GT Masters.

But, despite this early experience in team management, Verstappen has explained why he doesn’t want to foray into Formula 1 team ownership once he retires.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Max Verstappen rules out becoming a Formula 1 team owner due to the length of the calendar

Verstappen was asked in an interview with Sky Sports Germany if he wants to own a team in the future, and he explained: “No, not Formula 1. That’s too many races away from the family.

“I think after Formula 1 itself, I still want to race, of course, in endurance racing.

“If there’s Hyper Car or GT3, because of course, on the Nordschleife, it’s only GT3, Spa, but then Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, you know, all the big races, then maybe in a faster car, of course.

“So yes, the goal is there, of course, but when will that happen? Next year, in five years, in ten years? Of course, I still have a bit of time.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Alain Prost called becoming an F1 team owner the ‘biggest mistake’ of his career

Verstappen might want to take advice from another legend of the sport who tried his hand at managing a team when his racing career was over.

Alain Prost ran Prost Grand Prix between 1997 and 2001, achieving three podiums but never winning a race.

Prost admitted owning a Formula 1 team was his ‘biggest mistake’ and explained when talking in an interview with the FIA, via Crash: “Three months after I started the team, we had some very good results and we almost won a race.

“But to my family and close friends, I was saying ‘I’m dead’. I knew from the beginning. I know Formula One too well. I know the country too well.

“If I made one mistake, it was this. It would have been better not to have done it. I should not have made the decision to do it at the last minute.

“Two days before I signed the contract, I did not want to do it anymore. We had a plan with Peugeot and a contract for five years of free engines with lots of development.

“Then they came back two days before I signed it, and it was only three years, and I had to pay for the engine… In the end, I was happy to stop.”

Formula 1 has changed a lot since Prost ran his own eponymous racing team, as the costs have grown exponentially.

That might not put Verstappen off initially, but it’s hard to imagine the calendar getting any shorter as the sport continues to grow.