Mercedes talk constructive, but I like where I am

Max Verstappen sees no reason to change Formula 1 teams before his current Red Bull deal is up in 2028.

Verstappen and Red Bull went through a turbulent first half of the season both on and off the track, marked by power plays behind the scene behind team boss Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko, who enjoys the support of Verstappen’s entourage.

Horner survived calls from Verstappen’s father Jos to quit the team, leading to a truce towards the end of the year as Red Bull focused its efforts on improving its on-track performances, eventually resulting in Verstappen’s fourth drivers’ title.

While some key members have since decided to leave the squad, including designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, Verstappen himself says that despite talks with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff he now sees no reason to get out of his current Red Bull deal.

“If you look at Formula 1, it doesn’t happen very often that someone gets out of their contract. It’s not like in football, where you sign for five years and leave a year later. And that’s not really the intention,” Verstappen told Dutch broadcaster Viaplay.

“You never know what can happen next year or in two years, but you can’t control that either, so I don’t really think about it that much. Look, I’m very happy with where I am. We’ve won another championship. Of course, improvements need to be made with the car, but I think that’s very logical. So, I feel good with the team, I can be myself. 

“Everyone is also working flat out to always give me the best material. In that respect, I have nothing to complain about.”

When asked if Wolff’s pitch simply wasn’t interesting enough to convince him, he said: “The big teams are always interesting, but on the other hand, I’m also in a very big team. I’ve achieved a lot of success with them. It also just feels like a second family.

“Look, of course, we always talk to each other. And I don’t lie about the fact that we’ve sat together. We had very constructive conversations, I think everyone has always been very honest and open with each other.

“But on the other hand, I am also very loyal to my own team, and I just feel at home there. So, then there is actually not much to achieve at the moment. I am still very young, so a lot can still happen in the future.”

Verstappen has frequently hinted that he will not hang around in F1 forever, having ambitions to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in other sportscar events, possibly even with his own GT3 team the Dutchman is setting up. To that end, partnering with a manufacturer like Mercedes would make sense, but Verstappen indicated he is in no rush.

“For me, it is not just Formula 1,” he said. “After that, I also want to do a lot of things and I am also thinking about that. Who are the right partners for that? So yes, those are things that I think about, but I do not necessarily have to make a decision about that now.

“I have multiple goals after Formula 1 – endurance, my own team, there are a lot of things involved. And of course, there has to be a programme in the end. And who are you going to do that with? Those are also conversations that I have.

“A lot of teams [could help with that]; Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, it doesn’t even have to do with Formula 1 itself. Red Bull, of course, they also do a lot outside of Formula 1. So, I’m keeping all options open there and, in the end, I’ll choose what I think is best.”