Verstappen renewed rumours of an endurance berth after sampling an Acura ARX-06 prototype run by IndyCar Series and IMSA SportsCar Championship team Meyer Shank Racing ahead of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
At Las Vegas Speedway, he joined fellow Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawsom who drove a variety of cars.
The Dutch driver has made no secret of the fact he eventually wants to race in the two world-famous endurance events.
However, the nature of the F1 calendar and its 24-race schedule means any imminent programs are unlikely.
“It’s not about teasing or whatever. I know that I want to do it in the future anyway, but it’s just about finding the time,” Verstappen told Motorsport.com.
“With such a busy F1 schedule, it’s almost impossible because we finish so late in the season and then to properly prepare where you have to run Daytona or whatever, is pretty impossible.
“I know that when I want to do it, I want to go there and try to win it, be really competitive.
“The only way to do so is by doing some proper testing and get really well prepared, which is not possible at the moment.
“But, who knows? Maybe in a few years time. I’ll still be young-ish and I’ll be able to drive the cars.”
The last active F1 driver to do the double was Nico Hulkenberg, who won the 2015 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche.
That year, driving for Force India, the German driver’s program featured 19 grands prix. That schedule has grown to 25.
“I think it’s at the moment very hard to combine with F1,” said Verstappen.
“Especially with everything being more and more competitive, you can’t divide your time between F1 and a GTP.
“At least for me, when I compete in something, I need to be well prepared.”
Verstappen currently has ties to Honda but in 2026 his Red Bull team will switch to Ford.
As it stands, the US manufacturer does not have a prototype program in the FIA World Endurance Championship or IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Even if Verstappen wanted to race at Le Mans, it likely wouldn’t be in an Acura as the brand has shown no interest in expanding its IMSA program outside of North America.
Discussion about this post