Max Verstappen makes final decision on Red Bull exit as team issue announcement
Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension at Red Bull following months of speculation surrounding his future. Having been tipped to leave Red Bull - and perhaps Formula One altogether - earlier this year, the Dutchman has committed his future to the constructor until 2030 at the earliest.
Mercedes had been mooted as a potential option for the four-time world champion, and Toto Wolff hasn't shied away from discussing Verstappen as a future Silver Arrows driver. Their interest tracks all the way back to when Verstappen was a junior driver, with the then-teenage prodigy snubbing Mercedes for Red Bull instead.
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And that's where he is set to continue his Formula One journey, with Red Bull having announced Verstappen's contract extension on the eve of the Dutch Grand Prix, meaning the exit clause that was in his deal won't be exercised this year.
Verstappen, currently sixth in the Drivers' Championship, said of the announcement: "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.
"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.
"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.
"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 went on to reference Laurent Mekies as a driving force behind his decision to stay, with the Frenchman having replaced Christian Horner as team principal last year.
On the contract extension, Mekies remarked: "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.
"Very few partnerships in sport achieve what Max and this team have. Since the very beginning, Max has embodied everything that makes Oracle Red Bull Racing special: uncompromising competitiveness, relentless determination and the courage to challenge convention.
"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."