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08/20 02:47 CDT Max Verstappen extends F1 contract with Red Bull to 2030
Max Verstappen extends F1 contract with Red Bull to 2030
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) --- Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has
extended his contract with Red Bull to 2030, he and the team announced Thursday.
The announcement ahead of Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix this weekend ends
speculation he could seek a blockbuster move to another team. It comes despite
Red Bull struggling to match the pace of leading team Mercedes this season.
"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," he said in a statement.
"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."
Verstappen, already considered one of F1's all-time greats at the age of 28,
has yet to win a race this season. The 71-time race winner hasn't had a winless
season since his rookie year in 2015.
Verstappen's previous contract ran through 2028 but reportedly included
performance-related clauses which could have potentially allowed him to leave
earlier and which fueled speculation he might seek to move.
He had also questioned whether he'd stay in F1 at all, saying he'd like more
time with his family as his frustration grew with the 2026 F1 cars' reliance on
electrical battery power.
Red Bull backed Verstappen's career from childhood and brought him into F1 at
the age of 17 in 2015 at its second team, then called Toro Rosso. That made him
the youngest driver in series history, a record he still holds.
Still, there had been signs of tension in recent years amid the departures of a
series of key staff including longtime leader Christian Horner last year and
car design great Adrian Newey.
In his comments Thursday, Verstappen praised a "great" year with Laurent Mekies
in charge after Horner was fired, and said he sensed a "clear vision" for the
future of the team.
Verstappen also raised safety concerns this season after two separate faults
with the Red Bull car's rear wing hurled him into high-speed crashes.
Verstappen had been linked with a move to McLaren after reports of a meeting in
June between his representatives and McLaren management. McLaren chief
executive Zak Brown said at the team the team didn't have an opening for him
and would stick with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
One driver who had been considered a potential replacement for Verstappen at
Red Bull, Carlos Sainz Jr., signed a new contract on Wednesday with Williams.
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