Max Verstappen has ended speculation about his future in Formula One by signing a new contract with Red Bull that will extend to the end of 2030.
The four-time champion had been linked with potential moves to Mercedes and McLaren and had also intimated that he might call time on his F1 career because he was so unhappy with the new regulations imposed this season and they way they have effected his enjoyment of racing.
However, going into his home race this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, the 28-year-old and Red Bull announced that they would continue what has been an enormously successful partnership to the end of the decade.
“We have the best people and I’m excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again,” said Verstappen. “This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue.
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“I have always said it: the team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home. I came to the team hoping to be able to win races. What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely and we have shared many incredible moments and won four world championships.”
Verstappen’s previous contract was set to run until the end of 2028 but was understood to include break clauses, based on performance, that would have allowed him to leave had he chosen to do so.
This season Red Bull have struggled with the new regulations while Mercedes have emerged with a dominant car. Verstappen is sixth in the world championship, 110 points behind title leader Kimi Antonelli.
The Dutchman has managed to take two second places but has been outspoken in his dislike for the new regulations and the emphasis they pace on energy management, a feeling which is echoed by many other drivers. He has nonetheless insisted he had faith in his team to turn things around having been with them since he was promoted from sister squad Toro Rosso midway through the 2016 season.
Having committed his future to Red Bull, Verstappen also expressed his confidence in the team principal, Laurent Mekies, who took over from Christian Horner in July last season.
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“Getting to work with Laurent now for over a year has also been great, I see a clear vision he has for the team,” he said. “Everyone in Milton Keynes [Red Bull HQ] believes in what we are building and I am looking forward to the next chapter, fighting for more victories and competing for championships as we continue to shape the future of this team.”
Mekies also paid tribute to how important it was to keep the Dutchman, who won his four titles between 2021 and 2024, at Red Bull.
“Very few partnerships in sport achieve what Max and this team have,” he said. “Since the very beginning, Max has embodied everything that makes Oracle Red Bull Racing special: uncompromising competitiveness, relentless determination and the courage to challenge convention. His impact on our team and on Red Bull’s motor sport story has been transformational, and he has been fundamental to everything we have accomplished together.”
