Max Verstappen plans to bring together his Formula 1 cars, helmets, and key memorabilia from his career in a museum inspired by Fernando Alonso's. This project aims to pass on his passion to young people… and to methodically build the Verstappen legend even before the driver hangs up his helmet.
Verstappen…following in Alonso's footsteps…for his museum
Max Verstappen doesn't yet know the date of his retirement, but he's already thinking about where to install the display cases.
The Dutchman wants to create a museum dedicated to his career, where the public could discover his Formula 1 cars , helmets, racing suits, trophies, and memorabilia collected throughout his successes. However, the idea is still only in the planning stages: no location, opening date, or architectural plans have been announced. In other words, the museum already exists very clearly in Verstappen 's mind , but much less so in the official records.
In an interview with FORMULA 1 Magazine , Verstappen confirmed that he was considering creating this space.
"I'm thinking about where it could be installed. I'd like to do something like that someday."
Verstappen wants to follow Alonso's trajectory
The four-time world champion directly cites Fernando Alonso as a role model. The Spaniard has owned his own museum in Llanera, Asturias, near Oviedo, since 2015. Verstappen particularly appreciates the idea of seeing the different cars he drove throughout his career there and believes that such a place could inspire children to discover motorsport.
The project, therefore, transcends mere personal celebration in its message. Verstappen sees it as " a source of inspiration and motivation for young children ." A laudable ambition, even if displaying several championship-winning cars with his name emblazoned across them also remains a rather effective way of reminding everyone who is the focus of the visit.
At Alonso's, there are over 400 rooms and a go-kart track.
The Spanish model offers a glimpse of what the Verstappen project could become. The Fernando Alonso Museum boasts 1,200 square meters of exhibition space and houses approximately 400 items from the driver's personal collection: karts, single-seaters, prototypes, helmets, racing suits, shoes, and trophies. An FIA -approved karting track completes the site.
Verstappen certainly doesn't lack material to fill his future galleries. When he wins a race, he usually tries to keep his helmet, suit, and shoes to preserve a tangible memento of those moments. The collection has therefore grown gradually, victory after victory, rather than through the haste of a bulk purchase from an antique dealer specializing in Red Bull memorabilia.
He also owns several iconic cars from his career, including the Toro Rosso from his Formula 1 debut . It remains to be seen how many Red Bull cars can actually be assembled, as teams often retain ownership of their chassis and power units.
Swalmen's shop was already a small museum in disguise.
The idea isn't entirely new. For several years, the official Verstappen store in Swalmen already served as a miniature museum. Visitors could admire helmets, racing suits, and most importantly, a Red Bull RB12 associated with his first Formula 1 victory , achieved in Barcelona in 2016.
In 2024, Nico de Jong , then CEO of Verstappen.com , acknowledged that the idea of a full-fledged museum had been discussed, although no concrete plans yet existed. He nevertheless emphasized that the items displayed in the shop already possessed significant museum value and attracted some visitors several times a year.
The Swalmen shop has since closed, a consequence of the new commercial organization implemented with Fanatics. Sales of Verstappen merchandise have been centralized online, leaving the cars and souvenirs formerly on display without a permanent showcase. The future museum would therefore also allow for the revival, on a much larger scale, of this lost attraction.
A sporting legacy… carefully packaged by marketing
Verstappen presents this museum as part of the legacy he wishes to leave to motorsport. This desire is also reflected in his GT program and Verstappen Racing . His objective is, in particular, to identify talent from sim racing and offer them a chance to race in a real car.
The museum could thus become more than a succession of trophies behind glass: a place linking his karting career, his Formula 1 titles , his endurance activities and his training projects.
But it would be naive to overlook the commercial aspect. Since 2026, Fanatics has managed a large part of the Verstappen- related merchandise ecosystem , including clothing, collectibles, autographed cards, and products associated with key moments in his career. A museum would be the almost perfect extension of this strategy: visitors enter to admire the history and might even leave with a 1:2 scale replica of the car.
Children's inspiration and the sale of mini-helmets can perfectly coexist. Modern heritage must somehow finance the heating of shop windows.
A legend built even before retirement
The most revealing aspect, ultimately, remains the timing. Verstappen isn't waiting until the end of his career to think about how it will be chronicled.
This perfectly reflects a driver who closely controls his image, his commercial activities, and his sporting projects outside of Formula 1. Where some former champions let teams, the media, or historians organize their legacy, Verstappen seems determined to choose the cars, the lighting, and probably the direction of the tour himself.
The project, however, remains in its very early stages. A location, a date, a building, and precise confirmation of the pieces that will be exhibited are still lacking. In short, almost everything that separates a good idea from a museum open to the public.
But Max Verstappen already has the essentials: a collection, a history, and enough fans to fill the parking lot. Even when it comes to entering a museum, the Dutchman seems determined not to let anyone take his place.
