BUDAPEST, Hungary — Four-time reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen said he is staying with Red Bull next year, ending months of speculation over the 27-year-old Dutch driver’s future with his longtime team.
“Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” Verstappen said Thursday. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans, the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year.”
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028. At recent races he had deflected questions about whether he’d stay with the team next year, and there had been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit the contract early. The details of any clause are not public.
His announcement brings some much-needed stability for Red Bull less than a month after Christian Horner was removed from his role as team principal after 20 years and replaced by Laurent Mekies. Verstappen last week dismissed the suggestion that Horner’s firing would affect his decision on his future.
Red Bull is more dependent on Verstappen than any of F1’s other leading teams are on any one driver. Of the 192 points Red Bull has scored this season, Verstappen contributed 185, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda hasn’t scored a point in the past six races.