
Guido De Bortoli/LAT Images
Verstappen commits to Red Bull through 2030
Max Verstappen will remain a Red Bull Racing driver for the foreseeable future, having signed a contract extension through to the end of the 2030 season.
The four-time world champion’s future has been the center of speculation on multiple occasions in recent seasons, with this year seeing him linked with a potential move to McLaren as well as Mercedes. However, Verstappen has now ended the uncertainty by agreeing terms to remain at Red Bull for the next four years.
“I am really pleased with the contract extension,” Verstappen said. “We have the best people and I’m excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again. This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue. I want to thank Red Bull, Laurent [Mekies, team principal] and everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing for the trust they put in me.
“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. To continue this journey with the same team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do.
“Getting to work with Laurent now for over a year has also been great, I see a clear vision he has for the team. Everyone in Milton Keynes 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.
“To make this announcement during the last grand prix at Zandvoort is a great moment for me as well. Hopefully we can give the fans a special send-off for the final race.”
Securing Verstappen’s signature is a major show of faith in Red Bull after a number of changes within the team’s hierarchy in recent years. But the extension also ends doubts over Verstappen’s ongoing participation in F1, following complaints about his enjoyment of the sport’s latest set of regulations.
“Having Max continue with us and retaining the best driver on the grid is fantastic news for everyone at Red Bull, Oracle Red Bull Racing, as well as F1 and motorsport as a whole,” Red Bull's Mekies said. “Very few partnerships in sport achieve what Max and this team have. 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 motorsport story has been transformational, and he has been fundamental to everything we have accomplished together.
“The decision to continue our journey together is rooted in the trust Max and the team have built over many years, as well as Max’s confidence in our people, our culture and our vision for the future. Forged through championship-winning success, intense battles and challenging moments alike, this relationship has only grown stronger – making it one of Formula 1’s greatest success stories.
“But we are not done yet. There are more races to win, more milestones to achieve and more history to write. Together, we continue to raise the bar with the same determination that brought us to the top of the sport and an even greater faith in what we can achieve. Much will evolve as we move forward, but our ambition remains unchanged – united by one direction, one vision, one team
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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