Max Verstappen extends Red Bull contract through 2030

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has signed a new contract with Red Bull that will keep him with the team until the end of 2030, F1 announced on Thursday.

The 28-year-old Dutchman had been contracted until 2028 but had clauses that could have allowed him to leave at the end of this season, with Mercedes and McLaren among the teams linked with a possible move.

Verstappen said his decision to stay at Red Bull reflects his belief in the team and their shared ambition to return to the top.

“We have the best people and I'm excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again,” said Verstappen.

“This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue.

“I have always said it: the team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home.”

Verstappen joined Red Bull’s junior team, then known as Toro Rosso, in 2015 before being promoted to the senior team in 2016.

He won on his Red Bull debut and has since secured four world championships and 71 Grand Prix victories.

It is pertinent to mention that Red Bull have struggled under the new regulations introduced this season, with Verstappen’s best results being second-place finishes in Austria and Hungary.

His decision to remain comes despite his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase agreeing to join McLaren by 2028.

Verstappen also praised team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over from Christian Horner last year.