- Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through F1 2028 but Mercedes is publicly wooing him for their open seat.
- Even though the Dutch driver’s contract with Red Bull has years left on it, Toto Wolff has been teasing the loose ends that have emerged in recent months.
Although Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through F1 2028, Mercedes is publicly wooing him for their open seat.
Even though the Dutch driver’s contract with Red Bull has years left on it, Toto Wolff has been teasing the loose ends that have emerged in recent months.
Though Verstappen is under lockdown until the end of the Formula One 2028 season, he has made it clear that Helmut Marko’s role as team adviser and consultant is necessary for him to remain loyal to Milton Keynes.
Although the specifics of Verstappen’s contract are unknown, contracts often contain a variety of get-out clauses and conditional breaks that may permit an early termination if either party desired.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Photo/ Motor Sport Magazine
Verstappen most likely has escape clauses built in for after the 2026 Formula One season, given the significant changes to the regulations and Red Bull’s efforts to go solo in the engine department as Red Bull Powertrains replace Honda.
However, the current unrest surrounding Red Bull has generated a lot of conjecture on Verstappen’s future, prompting Toto Wolff to declare that he would gladly accept the Dutch driver into the cockpit that Lewis Hamilton left empty.
Naturally, several media outlets have reported that the two sides are in serious talks already; nonetheless, Christian Horner stated that there is “no ambiguity as to where Max Verstappen will be next year.”
After the Chinese Grand Prix, Toto Wolff of Mercedes speculated that Verstappen’s departure from Red Bull could have been caused by “factors” other than driving the “quickest car.”
Should Max be wary of Mercedes?
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Photo/PlanetF1
Verstappen has a lot of reasons to carefully examine his future with Red Bull, even though some F1 media outlets are claiming that he will soon receive an extremely rich offer to join Mercedes.
Ultimately, Red Bull has demonstrated its willingness to center its operations on him as its primary driver and compensate him well for that position.
Before achievement- or performance-related incentives, which might total an additional $20–$25 million, are taken into account, Verstappen’s yearly basic income is thought to be $55 million.
Red Bull is a team not renowned for being satisfied to finish second, and Verstappen has found himself in a team that closely corresponds with his competitive bent, with failures to produce rapidly addressed and fixed.
In 2023, he and Red Bull achieved a level of operational proficiency in Formula One that has never been witnessed before. The Dutch driver emerged victorious in all but three races, while Red Bull was only vanquished once.
Aside from his mechanical setback in Australia, Verstappen has dominated the first five races of 2024.
Red Bull is glad to let Verstappen find a balance between his marketing responsibilities and racing, as the Dutch driver is well-known for wanting to keep a low profile off the track. As a consequence, the driver has not complained about being overworked.
Mercedes W15. Photo/Autosport
The fact that Red Bull has won at least one race in every season since 2008—aside from 2015—is the most significant for Verstappen.
No other team has been as consistent as Red Bull has been. It’s also essential to remember that the vehicle remained competitive when engine power was less crucial, and Red Bull’s more unproductive years between 2014 and 2018 were mostly characterized by their uncompetitive Renault engines.
Red Bull jumped right into the fray with competitive products during the past two significant chassis regulatory revisions in 2009 and 2022, which puts them in a strong position for the next new regulations in 2026.
The genius of Adrian Newey—dubbed “the man who can see air” by Horner—is largely responsible for this success, but even Newey had failures during his time at McLaren before joining Red Bull, proving that other well-known engineers like Paul Monaghan, Pierre Wache, Enrico Balbo, and Ben Waterhouse were just as important in making everything work.
Red Bull will undoubtedly continue to concentrate entirely on Verstappen as long as he performs at a level comparable to what he has done over the previous ten years.
Additionally, Milton Keynes is able to intensify its attention on 2026 as soon as the laws permit it, given the scope of their present technological advantage under the current regulations.
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