Max Verstappen, four-time world champion, has signed a new contract with Red Bull that ties him to the team until the end of 2030. The agreement ends speculation about the Dutch driver's future as the current season comes to a close, after he had been linked with possible moves to Mercedes or McLaren.
Verstappen was previously contracted until the end of 2028, although his contract included clauses that would have allowed him to leave at the end of the current Formula 1 season if he had wished. "We have the best people and I'm excited to continue working together to get back to the top," said the 28-year-old Verstappen.
Red Bull has had a difficult start in the new engine regulations era introduced this season. Verstappen's best results have been two second-place finishes, at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix, after finishing two points short of beating McLaren's Lando Norris for the world title last season.
Despite Verstappen expressing frustration on several occasions over Red Bull's lack of performance, he ultimately decided to stick with what he knows. His trusted race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, will sign to join McLaren in 2028. Team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over more than a year ago after Christian Horner was sacked, expressed satisfaction with the renewal. "Having Max continuing with us and retaining the best driver in the championship is fantastic news," said Mekies.
Although the agreement ties Verstappen until the end of 2030, there are mechanisms by which he could leave if performance does not meet expectations. This is standard practice in F1 driver contracts. He has won 71 Grand Prix races alongside his four world titles, with his win tally ranking third in F1 history after Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
