Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension to stay at Red Bull Racing until 2030, ending speculation over his Formula 1 future. He was previously contracted to the end of 2028 and had expressed frustration with the new power unit regulations this season, which have hindered his performances. According to the article, Verstappen's best results this year were two second-place finishes in Austria and Hungary, and he currently sits sixth in the drivers' standings without a win. The four-time world champion will now continue working towards "getting back to the top again" with Red Bull, who have struggled with the regulations this season.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
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In short:
Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen will stay in Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing until 2030.
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Verstappen → stay → 2030
Verstappen said he always hoped to stay with the team that he first joined as a junior in 2014.
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he → say → 2014
Verstappen will race in his home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on Sunday, with ABC Sport providing a live blog of the race.
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Sport → race → race
Max Verstappen has ended speculation over his Formula 1 future by signing a contract extension that will see him remain at Red Bull Racing until 2030.
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him → end → 2030
The four-time world champion has repeatedly threatened to walk away from F1 this season in protest at the new power unit in use.
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champion → threaten → use
Red Bull have struggled with the regulations this year, with Verstappen's best performances two second-place finishes in Austria and Hungary.
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performances → struggle → Austria
Verstappen sits in sixth place in the drivers' standings this season without a win through the first 11 grands prix.
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Verstappen → sit → prix
The Dutch star, who finished just two points behind world champion Lando Norris last season, was previously contracted to the end of 2028.
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who → finish → 2028
However, there were clauses in his contract that could have allowed him to leave at the end of the season.
uncertain
him → be → season
The 28-year-old was linked with potential moves to Mercedes and McLaren, involving an outlandish driver swap with Australian Oscar Piastri; however, he will now stay at the team with whom he has won 71 grands prix.
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he → link → prix
"I am really pleased with the contract extension," Verstappen said in a statement.
"We have the best people, and I'm excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again.
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I → please → top
"This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue.
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all → remain → us
I want to thank Red Bull, Laurent [Mekies] and everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing for the trust they put in me."
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they → want → me
The F1 season has just finished its summer break, with racing to resume at Verstappen's home Dutch Grand Prix this weekend at Zandvoort, the last time the circuit will be on the calendar.
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circuit → finish → calendar
"To make this announcement during the last Grand Prix at Zandvoort is a great moment for me as well," Verstappen said.
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Verstappen → make → me
"Hopefully we can give the fans a special send-off for the final race."
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we → give → race
Verstappen won the first two Dutch Grand Prix upon the race's return to F1 in 2021, but has been beaten into second place the last two seasons, by Norris in 2024 and Piastri last season.
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Verstappen → win → 2024
"I have always said it, the team is like a second family for me, and I feel very at home," Verstappen said.
"
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Verstappen → say → home
I came to the team hoping to be able to win races.
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I → come → races
What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely.
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went → go → What
"To continue this journey with the same team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do."
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I → continue → that
Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Programme in 2014 and, after starting 23 grands prix for Scuderia Toro Rosso, made his F1 debut with the full Red Bull team midway through the 2016 season as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat.
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Verstappen → join → Kvyat
The then-teenage star claimed a stunning victory in that race, becoming the youngest-ever grand prix winner aged 18 years and 228 days.
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star → claim → race
"Having Max continue with us and retaining the best driver on the grid is fantastic news for everyone at Red Bull, Oracle Red Bull Racing, as well as F1 and motorsport as a whole," Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said.
"Very few partnerships in sport achieve what Max and this team have.
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Max → have → what
"His impact on our team and on Red Bull's motorsport story has been transformational, and he has been fundamental to everything we have accomplished together.
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we → accomplish → everything
"But we are not done yet.
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we → do → ?
"
Red Bull has already had to deal with some disruption in the mid-season shutdown, with Isack Hadjar suffering a wrist injury that will rule him out of the Dutch Grand Prix.
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that → have → Prix
New Zealander Liam Lawson will step up and take Hadjar's seat, with test driver Yuki Tsunoda taking the Kiwi's Racing Bulls seat for the round.
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Tsunoda → step → round
