Max Verstappen signs new Red Bull deal to 2030
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- Max Verstappen signed a contract extension with Red Bull through 2030, upgrading from his previous deal that ran through 2028 and contained performance-based exit clauses that fueled months of departure rumors.
- Verstappen had been linked to Mercedes, Aston Martin, and McLaren over the past 18 months and openly hinted at retiring from F1 earlier this year, calling the new electrified hybrid engines "anti-racing" and comparing them to Mario Kart.
- Red Bull framed the extension as an endorsement of team boss Laurent Mekies, who replaced Christian Horner last July, with Verstappen praising Mekies' "clear vision" and saying the team is building toward "getting back to the top."
- Verstappen finished second in the 2025 championship behind Lando Norris and has yet to win a race this season, yet told Red Bull he is "excited to keep working together" to compete for more championships.
- The deal is the third F1 contract extension confirmed this week — after Williams locked in Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz — and continues a trend of top teams committing drivers long-term, including Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren through the decade's end.
- Red Bull has lost several key figures recently, including long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who will join McLaren no later than 2028, but the new deal ends speculation Verstappen would follow him out the door.
- Verstappen has recorded 71 career wins (third all-time) and four world championships with Red Bull after joining the team's driver program in 2014 and becoming the youngest Grand Prix starter (17) and winner (18) in F1 history.
Why it matters: The deal locks in F1's four-time champion and third all-time wins leader (71 victories) through the end of the decade, giving Red Bull and new team boss Laurent Mekies — who replaced Christian Horner last July — crucial stability after a string of high-profile departures. It also commits Verstappen despite his public criticism of F1's new hybrid engines and a winless 2026 season to date.
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