John N
Max Verstappen said he feels “really good” at Red Bull but has not ruled out a move to Ferrari or Mercedes when his mega-contract expires.
The World Champion signed a seven-year deal to continue with Red Bull, with his stay at the team set to continue until the end of the 2028 season – but motorsport advisor Helmut Marko did admit there is a performance-related release clause in his deal, should Red Bull fall down the pecking order.
But given he is still only 24. The Dutchman said he still has plenty of his career ahead of him once that commitment to Red Bull comes up for renewal but did not completely deny the possibility of a future at Mercedes or Ferrari.
“I feel perfect in the team. There is no reason to leave the team. We get along well, and we have a competitive package. I will only be 31 years old at the end of the contract. Then I still have the option to continue or not. I’m still not old at the end of the contract.”
In the current season, Verstappen is clawing back his deficit to Charles Leclerc at the top of the World Championship, with his race wins at Imola and Miami bringing the gap down to 19 points. After the intensity of his season-long duel with Lewis Hamilton last year, he spoke of how much he is currently enjoying the battle at the front with his former karting rival.
“Of course, every driver is a bit different [in their approach]. Different in how he defends and how he attacks. So, of course, you approach every driver a little bit differently,” Verstappen said. It’s cool. Two young drivers are fighting for race wins. So far, we’ve had good duels.”
The Ferrari and Red Bull drivers are likely to lock horns once again at the head of the field when Formula 1 heads to Barcelona at the weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix.
