It is a major statement for Formula One. Max Verstappen is staying, and he will be staying for a while yet: the long-awaited new deal with Red Bull is done, keeping the Dutchman at the team through 2030. It was anything but a given, especially after the discontent of recent months, with Verstappen increasingly vocal about his frustration with the championship. For Formula One, losing a 28-year-old who has already won 71 Grands Prix and four world titles would have been a hard blow to take. The damage to its image would have been just as serious. Only a few months ago, after all, Verstappen had compared the Formula One of today to “a game of Mario Kart”.
In the end, the long discussions between the champion, Red Bull and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile have paid off. And Red Bull and the FIA clearly had plenty to put on the table: according to the first reports, Verstappen has signed a contract worth €100 million a season. That would be an all-time record in motorsport. Given the relief now running through Formula One, it looks like money well spent. As Forbes reported, losing a personality like Verstappen – perhaps to another series such as IndyCar – would have been “embarrassing and devastating. Max is too important to the health of F1 itself”.
Getting to the final deal was not straightforward, as Verstappen himself has admitted. “After the first few races of 2026 I told the Red Bull management not to come and ask me questions about my future, because I didn’t even know whether I wanted to stay in Formula One,” the Dutchman said in recent days. “Honestly, we always kept every scenario open. But I like competing, I like being a driver, and later on we also had some very productive conversations with the FIA about working together on a product that can become even better. Today I’m very happy with this contract extension. And, to be honest, rather than signing for another team, I would have preferred to think about retiring.”
The focus now shifts to 2030, when Verstappen will be approaching 32 and an eventual farewell to the paddock would feel like a much more natural ending. Until then, the driver and everyone around him will be looking to avoid another clash like the one at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year. After a series of problems recharging the car’s hybrid system, Max took aim at Formula One’s move towards electrification. “It’s terrible,” he said at the time, setting off a wave of controversy. “This is not racing anymore. It’s not fun at all. It feels like playing Mario Kart. You do a good lap, then immediately the battery is empty. You recharge and then you’re down again. To me, this is a joke. It has nothing to do with the history of this competition.” The FIA clearly took note. Soon afterwards, it revised the new regulations, taking a step back: less electric power and more combustion power in the cars’ power units. There is still work to do. At least Verstappen will be there for it.