Having already secured four Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship titles, Max Verstappen has shifted his focus towards what he describes as “smaller achievements” in the sport, after effectively completing his F1 bucket list.
Key Points for Max Verstappen's New F1 Goals:
- Verstappen has four F1 world titles and narrowly missed a fifth in 2025
- He has 71 race wins, 128 podiums, 48 poles, and 37 fastest laps
- He says his focus has shifted from major goals to “smaller achievements”
- Red Bull has entered its own power unit era in partnership with Ford
The Champion's Shifting Sands
The Dutchman won four consecutive championships between 2021 and 2024, and narrowly missed out on a fifth in 2025, losing out to McLaren’s Lando Norris. Alongside his titles, Verstappen has built an extraordinary record that includes 71 Grand Prix wins, 128 podiums, 48 pole positions, and 37 fastest laps. Reflecting on his career, he admitted that most of his major F1 goals have already been achieved.
Instead, the 28-year-old says his motivation has evolved towards more technical and subtle milestones. Speaking ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen told Vogue: “I would like, of course, to win a championship again. But no—there’s no real bucket list. The main ones have all been completed.
“What I want now are smaller achievements—like achieving a win on our own power units, stuff like that. I’m just passionate about racing, and trying to build more knowledge—even down to computing power, and AI, which is in a way quite scary, but cool. You need to be a little bit of a geek for these kinds of things, but I like it.”
Shift in Focus to Technical Milestones
Red Bull entered the 2026 season with its own in-house power unit programme. The Milton Keynes-based team ended its long-standing partnership with Honda after 2025 and transitioned to Red Bull Powertrains, developed in collaboration with Ford.
This change coincided with the latest regulation cycle, which now features an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, although further adjustments are expected in 2027.
After the opening five rounds of the season, Red Bull sits fourth in the Constructors’ standings with 57 points. Verstappen is seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 43 points, while new teammate Isack Hadjar is 12th with 14 points.
