(Motorsport-Total.com) – Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso – they could all end their Formula 1 careers in the near future. While for Max Verstappen this may still take some time depending on the regulations, it will likely happen sooner for the other two world champions, as both are already in their forties.
Read more Only ten cars worldwide: McLaren unveils secret World Champion project
This would, of course, mean Formula 1 losing two enormous drawcards, but Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali is not worried about it. Firstly, because he believes there will be a time after them, and secondly, because he does not believe that both will throw in the towel after 2026.
“When we talk about Lewis and Fernando, we are of course talking about giants of our sport; they are major protagonists,” says the Italian. “Of course, both face different challenges and opportunities. But to believe that they could stop this year? I have my doubts about that, because they are fighters.”
“They have proven that – if the mix of car and team is right – they will definitely continue to fight for a long time,” says Domenicali. But that is exactly the question mark. Especially Alonso’s Aston Martin team is presenting a disastrous image during winter testing and seems to be far off the pace.
And if Hamilton continues to have such big problems with Ferrari in 2026 as he did last year, where he was unable to achieve a single Grand Prix podium, then quite a few expect that he too will pack his bags in Maranello.
Read more Verstappen honest: What he thinks about Honda’s crisis at Aston Martin
But Domenicali is not one of them. “To be quite honest: I don’t see them retiring,” he says. “I hope I’m right about that, because they are a very important asset for Formula 1.”
But even if the big names should leave the sport at some point, others will take their place. “You saw it when we brought in five new guys: they were extremely important for the younger generation,” he says. “Teenagers followed them in a way that shows how interestingly the audience of our sport is shifting.”
“Therefore, firstly, I don’t see them retiring; secondly, I hope they won’t; and if it should happen at some point – which I don’t believe – then I think the new generation of drivers will gain attention more quickly because the way people connect today is different.”
Read more Energy Management 2026: Why the full-throttle myth doesn’t hold up