Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull until the end of the 2030 Formula 1 season, ending months of speculation about a possible move away from the team.
Red Bull announced the contract extension on Thursday, August 20, confirming that the Dutch driver will continue with the team he joined in 2016 after being promoted from Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls.
Verstappen has since become the most successful driver in Red Bull’s history, winning 71 races and four Drivers’ Championships with the team. His latest title came in 2024, while he narrowly missed out on a fifth championship last season after finishing just two points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The new agreement comes after a difficult start to 2026 for Red Bull, which has dropped further down the competitive order under the sport’s new regulations. Verstappen has yet to win a race this season, although he has finished on the podium four times.
His struggles with the team have been accompanied by repeated reports linking him with a move to other leading teams, including Mercedes and McLaren, despite his previous contract running until 2028.
The new deal puts an end to that speculation, with Verstappen choosing to continue with the team where he has spent his entire Formula 1 career.
“I am really pleased with the contract extension. We have the best people and I’m excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again,” Verstappen said.
“This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue. I want to thank Red Bull, Laurent and everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing for the trust they put in me.”
Verstappen also described his relationship with Red Bull as particularly important after a decade with the team.
“I have always said it: The team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home. I came to the team hoping to be able to win races. What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely and we have shared many incredible moments and won four World Championships,” he said.
“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.”
Verstappen also expressed confidence in the team’s direction under team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over the role in July 2025.
“Getting to work with Laurent now for over a year has also been great, I see a clear vision he has for the team. Everyone in Milton Keynes believes in what we are building and I am looking forward to the next chapter, fighting for more victories and competing for championships as we continue to shape the future of this team,” he said.
Mekies welcomed the decision, saying Red Bull had retained “the best driver on the grid” and describing Verstappen’s impact on the team as “transformational.”
“Very few partnerships in sport achieve what Max and this team have,” Mekies said, adding that the relationship had been strengthened through “championship-winning success, intense battles and challenging moments alike.”
Verstappen, who is sixth in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 109 points, 110 behind leader Kimi Antonelli, will now look ahead to his home race at Zandvoort, where he will be looking to fight for victory in front of his home crowd.
The Dutch Grand Prix will also have added significance for Verstappen, as this weekend’s race will be the last at Zandvoort for the time being, with the circuit set to disappear from the F1 calendar from 2027 onward.
