Red Bull superstar and reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has been tipped to retire at the end of the 2025 season.
Despite a tough start to the campaign, Verstappen has managed to keep up with the dominant McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
After nine races, Verstappen is currently third in the standings, having collected 137 points.
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The 27-year-old is 39 points behind Norris and 49 adrift of leader Piastri.
Despite Red Bull making improvements, Verstappen's future continues to be the talk of the town.
Over the last few months, the Dutchman has been linked with teams such as Mercedes and Aston Martin.
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However, speaking recently, former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas has sensationally tipped Verstappen to retire at the end of the season, having backed him to win the world championship.
During a round of golf on Lucas Stewart's YouTube channel, Nicholas was asked how many world titles Verstappen will win in his career.
He replied: "Five. I think Max is going to win the Drivers’ this year, and then I think he’s going to call it a day."
When asked if he knows something that the rest of the world doesn't, Nicholas stated: "No, I definitely don’t know anything."
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Expanding on why he is backing Verstappen to beat the McLaren duo, Nicholas said: "To not back Max is just like lunacy, I think. The guy is just really really good.
"Not in terms of just his technical skill and his talent, but I’ve watched Max grow into this guy that can do everything. He does everything well now."
What has Max Verstappen said about his future?
Back in April, Verstappen, who is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, was asked about the noise surrounding his future.
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He said: "A lot of people are talking about it, except me."
"I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That's the only thing that I'm thinking about in F1 at the moment. I'm very relaxed."
Topics: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Marcus Chan