Max Verstappen admits it would be "great" to one day call himself a Ferrari driver.
The 25-year-old is under contract to Red Bull until the end of 2028, and he told the Italian source Rossomotori that whether he stays beyond that "depends on how competitive we are then".
"It seems to me that it will be extremely difficult for us to remain the dominant project for such a long period of time," said the Dutchman, who looks set to cruise to his third consecutive drivers’ title in 2023.
"People often ask if I have a dream team," Verstappen added. "I know Ferrari has a unique history in F1 so this is a team that would be great to race for.
"But I’ve always told myself that I just want to drive the strongest car."
A bonus of racing for Ferrari is that the Maranello-based marque has just returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans - and won with former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi as part of the lineup.
"I love Le Mans and endurance racing in general," Verstappen said. "I love watching GT3 cars take corners at the Nurburgring. That’s all I want to experience in my life, and not when I’m 40 or 50 because I won’t be at my peak anymore.
"At 31, I would have been in Formula 1 for a very long time but I’m sure I will still be capable of great things."