Sports · 20 August, 2026 · 2 min read
Max Verstappen Signs Red Bull Contract Extension Until 2030 Ahead of Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort
Verstappen signs contract extension with Red Bull through end of 2030. Announcement made ahead of his home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Whether Verstappen seriously considered leaving F1.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: he said talks with F1 and FIA persuaded him about current cars improving.
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AP News
“Max Verstappen says he seriously considered leaving Formula 1 before the four-time champion instead committed to four more years with Red Bull”Read the original ↗
AP emphasises Verstappen’s personal doubts; Al Jazeera largely frames it as speculations ending.
Deal through 2030
Max Verstappen signed a new contract with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030, ending speculation over his future in Formula 1.
Red Bull said on X on Thursday, “Four more years of full send. We are delighted to announce that Max has signed a contract extension with the team until the end of 2030,” as preparations continued for Verstappen’s home race this Sunday, the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
AP reported that Verstappen said he seriously considered leaving Formula 1 before committing to four more years with Red Bull on Thursday.
The AP story also said the announcement ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix ends speculation that he could seek a blockbuster move to another team or quit the sport, even as Red Bull struggled to match the pace of leading team Mercedes this season.
Why he stayed
Verstappen said he had told Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, “Don’t come to me with any kind of questions about the future because I don’t even know if I want to stay.” He added that talks with F1 and governing body the FIA persuaded him that “we are slowly working towards something that becomes better and better” with the current cars.
AP said Verstappen was “closer to retiring than changing team,” and it noted that his previous contract ran through 2028 with performance-related clauses that could have allowed him to leave earlier. The BBC framed the renewal as ending speculation about the Dutchman’s future at the end of this season after he had been linked with potential moves to Mercedes or McLaren, while also noting that clauses could still allow him to leave if performance does not come up to expectations.
Next chapter in F1
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the extension was “fantastic news for everyone at Red Bull, Oracle Red Bull Racing, as well as F1 and motorsport as a whole,” and he described Verstappen as “the central point of the team.” AP reported that Mekies said, “He’s a lot more than the fastest driver in the world for us,” and it said knowing Verstappen would be with the team to build a next winning cycle was “phenomenal.”
The BBC said the announcement was timed to coincide with Verstappen’s final home race this weekend before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort falls off the calendar. With Verstappen locked in through the end of 2030, AP said seeing out the contract in full would take him to 15 seasons with Red Bull, which it described as the longest-running driver-team pairing in F1 history.