Verstappen eyes major endurance races

Max Verstappen says he wants to compete in all of the major endurance races in motorsport at some stage, including in the top categories at Le Mans and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Ford will offer technical expertise relating to the 2026 power unit as part of its upcoming partnership with Red Bull, and will return to the Hypercar class at Le Mans a year later. Verstappen says he is keeping an open mind to what the new generation of Formula 1 car will be like to drive, but is also motivated by the potential opportunities the Ford link could open up.

“I think it’s important to be a bit in the middle of [the 2026 regulations],” Verstappen said in a Ford Performance video. “From the outside, personally it doesn’t look the most exciting, but on the other side I’m also like ‘Let’s see, wait and see’. Maybe, honestly, it is fun.

“I think from our side of course what is exciting is that Ford is stepping in with us, and to see how our partnership can develop. That is, for sure, the exciting bit about it.

“Even to this day they’re involved in so many racing projects, and of course they’re coming back to Le Mans with a Hypercar as well. Of course [I’d fancy that] - a Hypercar for sure. I like of course the GT3, you want to do the Nordschleife, the 24 Hours of Spa, but then the other ones you maybe want to do it in the fastest category.”

When racing at Daytona was put to him, Verstappen reiterated: “All of them. I really want to do all of them.”

And Verstappen says he enjoys the need to change his driving style to what his machinery requires, adding that his ability to be quick in F1 is due to that trait, rather than a car being designed to his strengths.

“I just adapt to what I got. It’s not what I like, it’s just what I have. I’m going to try and drive to it because that’s the fastest way to go around the track, but it’s not what I personally would like. I would like different bits from the car.

“Of course it [feels good to receive praise], but I’m not doing it to show people what I’m capable of. I’m just doing it to try and be the best myself. In that sense I’m probably quite a perfectionist, it’s never good enough. If I can come out of the car and I can say to myself ‘that was pretty good’, it’s never good enough, but pretty good…

“I’ve had a few laps that were pretty good. Last year, Jeddah, qualifying, my first run in Q3 I came back into the box and I was like ’S**t! Honestly I don’t know if I can do this again’. And I actually didn’t go faster in the second run, so I couldn’t do it again!”