Max Verstappen Leaves Door Open for Potential Ferrari F1 Future

MONZA, Italy -- Max Verstappen said it's impossible to rule out a move to Ferrari in future, even if he is unsure he will race long enough in Formula 1 to get the opportunity.

Verstappen's future has been a talking point all season, although he has committed himself to current team Red Bull for 2026 at least.

He spent much of the year being linked with Mercedes but would command the attention of any team with a free seat. Lewis Hamilton is contracted until the end of 2026 at Ferrari and Verstappen suggested an opportunity for him to move there might exist down the line.

Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix -- Ferrari's home race -- Verstappen said, as reported by Motorsport.com: "They have two drivers contracted for next year, so there is no discussion anyway. Now, is there a chance? Yes, there are a lot of chances in life for any kind of decision.

"Of course, at the moment that is not on the horizon, but who knows? I don't even know how long I'm driving in Formula 1, so there are still a lot of unknowns for me.

"It's always very difficult to know what is going to happen, right?"

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Verstappen has often said he does not know whether he will race beyond his existing contract with Red Bull, which runs until 2028.

His old foe Hamilton, whom Verstappen beat to the drivers' title in 2021, has struggled since moving to Ferrari this season in what was a much-hyped move coming into the season.

Bar a sprint race victory in China earlier in the year, Hamilton has not finished on the podium at a grand prix yet.

Verstappen said it was wrong for people to assume any driver could switch teams and immediately be competitive.

"I cannot look into how he [Hamilton] was operating at Mercedes, how he feels personally, what is going on also in the [Ferrari] team right now. I don't have any information on that.

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"The thing is, he joined a team that already has a very strong driver with Charles [Leclerc], so it's never going to be easy to immediately go in there and start beating your teammate who is well integrated, knows the team very well, speaks the language.

"But these cars can be quite complicated at times to fully understand why you're quick or not, basically."

The speculation over Verstappen's contract arose over a performance clause in his contract that says he could leave early if he was fourth or lower at the summer break.

He went into the break third, meaning Mercedes' interest was moot anyway.