Max Verstappen has finally cleared up all the talk about his future. The four-time World Champion announced he will stick with Red Bull Racing through the 2026 season. He made this clear during a media meet before the Hungarian Grand Prix on Thursday.
Verstappen Puts Rumors to Rest
Verstappen said he hadn’t talked about his contract earlier because he was focused on working with the team. “I’ve never really said anything about it because I was just focused on talking to the team about how we can improve our performance, future ideas for next year as well, and that’s why I had nothing really to add,” he said.
He went on to say, “I think it’s time to basically stop all the rumours. For me, it has always been quite clear that I was staying anyway.” Verstappen also pointed out that this weekend marks his 200th race with Red Bull, which is a big milestone.
What’s in the Contract?
Even though Verstappen’s contract is officially until 2028, there are some rules that could let him leave early if things didn’t go well. According to ESPN, if he ended up fourth or lower in the championship after the Hungarian GP, he could have left the team before the summer break.
But Verstappen kept performing well. After winning the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps, he built up a 26-point lead over George Russell. That meant he didn’t come close to triggering the exit clause.
Other Teams Were Interested
There was also talk that Mercedes wanted Verstappen for 2025. Their boss, Toto Wolff, openly said they’d be interested if Verstappen was available. This only added to the rumors about whether he might leave Red Bull.
When asked if similar speculation might pop up next year, Verstappen said, “I don’t know. I mean, if you ask me that question next year, then yes, and we’ll have that speculation.”
Verstappen’s Focus Is on Racing, Not Contracts
But Verstappen made it clear that he prefers to focus on racing rather than contract talk. “But I never speak about it, because I’m more interested in just working on the performance of things, so that’s why I also never really talk about what is in my contract,” he explained.
Now that Verstappen’s future is sorted, both he and Red Bull can put all their energy into the races ahead.
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