Max Verstappen has agreed a lucrative new deal to continue racing for Red Bull in Formula 1, according to media reports in the Netherlands.
De Telegraaf reports the world champion is poised to commit his future to the team in a deal worth up to £41.6 million (€50m) per year.Verstappen’s current Red Bull deal, which was announced at the beginning of 2020, keeps him at the team until the end of the 2023 F1 season.
A contract extension would be a significant vote of confidence by Verstappen in Red Bull’s plans for the future. Its engine supplier Honda officially withdrew from F1 at the end of last year. Red Bull is taking over the the production of its power units at a new powertrains facility in its Milton Keynes base, and is also believed to be courting interest from Volkswagen for a future engine supply.
Red Bull signed two major sponsorship deals for the new season following Verstappen’s championship victory last year. New title sponsor Oracle and cryptocurrency Bybit have significant presences on the car. The deals were reported to be worth £225 million ($300m) and $112m ($150m) respectively.
Verstappen was signed to the team’s junior driver programme in 2014 and swiftly made his F1 debut in a practice session with Toro Rosso at that year’s Japanese Grand Prix. He raced for the team the following year, and was promoted to Red Bull five races in 2016, causing a sensation by winning his first race for the team in Spain.
He has remained at the team ever since, while a succession of drivers have departed the seat alongside him. Daniel Ricciardo walked out of the team at the end of 2018, his replacement Pierre Gasly lasted just nine races, and Alexander Albon was dropped after a disappointing 2020 campaign.
Sergio Perez joined as Verstappen’s team mate last year, and kept his place alongside him for the upcoming season.
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SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
2nd March 2022, 13:22
Makes sense, no reason to move if you’re happy in the team and happy with the people involved. I’m sure he’ll have some performance clauses in there if need be, he’ll also still will be only about 30 by the time this contract runs out.
Like, unless you have some childhood dreams about driving for a certain team (like Vettel and Ferrari), why move from a team that can give you a race and even championship winning car?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd March 2022, 13:38
That depends how things bode for the future, if you examine the hybrid era you have mercedes, which brought a dominant car for 5 years, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and apart from that marginally the best car in 2017 and 2021 and the joint-best car for 2018.
What did red bull bring? 2nd fastest car marginally in 2021, 2nd fastest in 2014 and 2020 but with big margin, rest 3rd or worse, then you look at ferrari and overall result is no better than red bull, at this stage only mercedes proved to be able to give a consistent bid to always make a competitive car for the championship or better.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd March 2022, 13:39
Well, 2016 was up there with ferrari I suppose, but point is the same.
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
2nd March 2022, 13:56
While I understand your point, I don’t doubt Max has exit clauses should performance be abysmal.
But I don’t think we’re at much risk of another series of such a long period of dominance by one team due to a lack of rule changes. Of course, Red Bull had the problem of Renault being particularly bad in 2014 through 2016, and then having equally bad luck with Renault’s performance. However, Honda did come through for them at the end and first chance they got, helped get Max the WDC.
Out of any of the teams that had to fight against the insane advantage Merc had throughout this era, Red Bull is the only one that managed to get close (you say Ferrari, but I counter that in the seasons that Ferrari was a “contender,” Lewis still won the WDC with at least three races spare). So it’s either Mercedes or Red Bull and why move to Mercedes at this point in the game when you’ve just got a WDC with your current team? Seems more lateral movement than anything else.
iCarbs (@icarby)
2nd March 2022, 22:54
@esploratore1 – Rbr car last year was my pick of the bunch, strong everywhere. There is no way you’re leading a championship let alone winning without a strong/strongest package.
Jazz (@jazz)
2nd March 2022, 13:52
I’ve seen one source quote the contract at £41.7m. I wouldn’t pay him that in Haribo.
Jazz (@jazz)
2nd March 2022, 13:53
*(per year)
Jazz (@jazz)
2nd March 2022, 18:21
I’m actually a Ferrari supporter, so misery knows me well. Just can’t understand anyone who’d support that violent asbo thug VER or his team of shysters.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
2nd March 2022, 19:09
@jazz I like Haribo.
Noframingplease (@)
3rd March 2022, 9:23
@jazz. No, if people like teambosses, ex drivers etc call him one of the most talented drivers on the grid for years, who do you believe? The keyboard knowbetters or the experts? With all respect, but I put my haribo’s on the last, and not the opinion of one fan.
MacLeod (@macleod)
3rd March 2022, 8:22
Actually i like Lewis and Max and Lando and Daniel and Sainz, Charles, Vettel but i am always critical about Ferrari and their shadow things…
NinjaBadger (@ninjabadger)
2nd March 2022, 20:14
Would still beat out McLaren’s offer in Freddo bars
Mark (@blueruck)
2nd March 2022, 14:18
Good for Max, he is happy with his employer and getting paid nicely for his work. RB is happy, they have a #1 for years to come and don’t have to worry about being distracted by Max leaving rumors.
I expect after this year, Merc will sign GR to a long term contract, so we will see Max. George and Lando racing each other for several years.
Mayrton
2nd March 2022, 22:37
Yeah, looking forward to that. Throw in a Leclerc and we have a good set.
iCarbs (@icarby)
2nd March 2022, 22:55
Agreed, Lando better bring the fire !
Matthijs (@matthijs)
2nd March 2022, 14:24
Is it interesting that Verstappen extended his contract just AFTER the first winter tests? Does that imply any confidence about their solution to the new regs? Or is it too far fetched?
The Dolphins
2nd March 2022, 14:43
Given these are not standard forms one fills out it’s probably far fetched to think that both sides and their legal advisors were able to come to terms on this in a few days. However given Red Bull’s historic form and their recent investments in power unit development Max can rest assured the team are not just twiddling their thumbs, they are here to race. Add to that a hefty sum of money and it would seem foolish to not want to make a deal with them.
Johns
2nd March 2022, 14:24
30 million, 40 million, or 50 million, whats the difference. How can anyone spend that much in a life time?
I know , I know. Your response is gonna be, “ But I want to try”
Imre (@f1mre)
2nd March 2022, 15:45
A mansion. Or a proper house at multiple locations around the world. With maintenance staff. Private jet. Those 50 millions are not enough for these. And there are much more convenience stuff out there. And these are somewhat rational choices. I’d want a proper house/mansion close to a big city. A private jet would also be awesome, who likes to travel alongside 100-200 other people, get to the airport on time, etc…
Qeki (@qeki)
2nd March 2022, 21:04
Few houses, one mansion, some cool cars, new tech. 50 million would dissappear quite fast.
Jeroen (@)
2nd March 2022, 21:05
Rumor has it some people care enough to post useless comment on Racefans.net ;)
ian dearing
2nd March 2022, 14:57
12/2/21 RB saying Hamilton’s salary is unaffordable, obscene, too high, too expensive for F1.
31/1/22 Max warned by RB they can’t match Ham salary.
15/2/22 Marko states Max’s salary is close to their limit and will not dramatically increase.
2/3/22 Verstappen 1 v Red Bull 0. Seems RB can afford it after all.
Ben
2nd March 2022, 15:29
Why are you surprised? RedBull do nothing but moan and contradict themselves at every opportunity.
Noframingplease (@)
2nd March 2022, 18:06
@ben yes, fortunately the words a Toto Wolff are always accurate. ‘We don’t develop the car anymore’, ‘Lewis maybe stop in 2021’, ‘I never said Lewis will stop’, ‘2017-2021 the RB is the quickest car’ etc etc. Ben, it’s okay to be fan, but don’t close your eyes for the things everyone can see. It’s a not very popular opinion for Lewis fans, but realize the MB team (incl. toto an Lewis) are seen as a bunch of hypocrites…. and it are not always the ‘silly’ max fans who have that opinion.
Scary Terry (@hatebreeder)
3rd March 2022, 7:06
@nofanboysplease Whataboutism. nice.
Noframingplease (@)
4th March 2022, 10:48
@hatebreeder No, unfundamented complaining about the people of RB and at the same time being blind for the same behavior of your beloved F1 team. No, that has nothing to do with wathaboutism, bud plain simple biased fan behavior
Craig
3rd March 2022, 8:06
So we should forgive all the times Red Bull are enormous hypocrites because maybe, potentially, possibly somewhere else there’s a minor chance of someone else saying something that could be considered contradictory?
Noframingplease (@)
3rd March 2022, 9:43
@craig No, don’t put words in my mouth. The overall sentiment here is more pro lewis and MB. I’m surprised by the bias some of them, and you, are showing when it’s about the behavior of Toto and Lewis. No RB will in the Eyes of a Lewis fan not always be as accurate but I do remember many hypocrite behavior of Lewis and Toto about the speed of the honda engine ‘It seems they have a party mode’. It’s clear MB don’t want any competition but like to dominate F1. I didn’t hear the chairman of MB give an explanation about the sudden speed of the MB in brasil in 2021. Why is it than normal that in the case of Honda their chairman’s did? Toto and lewis were constantly framing RB and Max in a very negative way. Of course, that’s a part of the game, but the scale and influence on the FIA (first part of the 2021) season was to much. And that part of the game many lewis fans like to forget cuze it doesn’t suit the sentiment about the last race.
Mark (@blueruck)
2nd March 2022, 15:41
:) Ian
F1 is fixed
2nd March 2022, 17:00
That’s a lot of cans of drain cleaner…sorry, fizzy pop.
anon
2nd March 2022, 17:58
ian dearing, you should have also added “31/05/21: Helmut Marko publicly states that Red Bull supports the implementation of a budget cap on driver salaries”.
Certainly interesting that there haven’t yet been any complaints either about Max receiving such a massive salary whilst basing himself in a tax haven…
Niki101
2nd March 2022, 18:20
@anon
“ Certainly interesting that there haven’t yet been any complaints either about Max receiving such a massive salary whilst basing himself in a tax haven…”
It’s very simple to be fair: The vast majority
of F1 fans (and the rest of the world) see Max not only as clearly the best driver on the grid as well as the honest, easy going and affable chap he is, hence most people wish him all the best.
(It’s only those people who reflect their own personality on Max that are having problems with him.)
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd March 2022, 20:40
anon and ian dearing You both seem to be very good at taking actual quotes and re-wording them to suit your anti-RBR narrative.
Did ‘RB’ say Hamilton’s salary was obscene, unaffordable etc etc? Or perhaps was it Marko?
Who from ‘RB’ warned Max they can’t match Ham salary? Whoever that was they were obviously wrong. Or more likely is that just a shaded version of the actual quote?
Marko states Max’s salary is already close to the limit and will not dramatically increase. Yeah that one is pretty accurate to what he actually said from what I could see.
And then “Helmut Marko publicly states that Red Bull supports the implementation of a budget cap on driver salaries.” I couldn’t find the quote from the data you specify anon, but I think I found the quote anyway from a different but nearby date, and if it is the same quote you conveniently left out the ‘in principle’ part. They agree to drivers’ salaries being capped ‘in principle’ but then Marko adds that of course they would still respect existing contracts even if drivers salaries became part of the cap, which so far they are not.
The problem for both of you in your weak attempt to undermine all things RBR is that Marko is not RBR. He is not the one cutting the cheque. Marko is an advisor to the team and he is the director of driver development. Marko is allowed his opinion, but guess what, and you know this…he is not the owner of Red Bull, nor is he the owner of RBR. That honour goes to Dietrich Mateschitz. I think it quite likely that Marko is free to have his opinions, but also likely, and I’m speculating, that he was not sitting at the negotiating table with Max, trying to talk everyone down from the lofty salary they were about to sign him to.
I’m going to suggest that now that Max is the WDC and there is a #1 on the car, that has added perhaps half a billion of marketing value to the brand of Red Bull globally, and that Mateschitz and/or his negotiating team see Max’s salary as a bargain as a result. He is unquestionably a proven entity, therefore very bankable, and if Max’s salary makes Marko cringe, which is very possible given his talk about driver salaries in general, then so be it. He can thank his lucky stars it is not his team nor is he the one having to cut the cheques.
As to Max moving to Monaco when he was 18? Yeah of course the cynical and the biased are going to imply that was strictly for tax purposes, but as far as I’m aware moving to Monaco is not illegal, and Max that I’m aware of has not evaded paying taxes anywhere, but obviously there is a desire around here to start to spread that narrative, if for no other reason than it suits the ‘everything anti-RBR narrative’ and as well others have had ignorant complaints levelled against them for living in Monaco for the same reason, fairly or not, so let’s just stir that up on Max’s behalf too. Don’t worry anon I’m sure your ilk will chime in very soon now that you have brought it up now that Max’s new salary is out there.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
2nd March 2022, 21:20
@robbie
That’s a very Trumpian response, “I reject your facts and present my own”, without any supporting evidence :))
Marko is a very close friend of Mateschitz and has considerable sway with him.
The owners of Redbull are Yoovidhya family 49%, Dietrich Mateschitz 49%. Chalerm Yoovidhya, the eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhy owns the additional 2%.
Oh really? I would expect sales in the Netherlands to increase perhaps. The figures I have been able to read from Bloomberg point to approximately 534 million Euros paid out to the owners in 2020. So doubling that would be quite something.
Robbie (@robbie)
2nd March 2022, 21:46
@johnrkh Lol not ‘Trumpian’ at all when I am asking for actual facts and pressing people for them rather than their interpretations. All they had to do was provide the exact quotes but they didn’t. Why? Answer: because that reality would take away from the biased narrative.
Marko has sway? Sure, ok. It (his sway or his opinion) didn’t seem to affect Max’s salary.
That there is a co-owner of Red Bull also means that it is not Marko that cuts the cheques.
As to marketing value, of course I was speaking in generalities to make the point that Max’s salary is no doubt worth it, or he wouldn’t have gotten it. It has been said that Mercedes marketing value for being in F1 is 1.5 billion so I figured half a billion for RBR makes the point. And I did say globally so I’m not sure why you are just isolating this to the Netherlands. F1 races internationally, is viewed globally, and Red Bull promotes themselves globally as well. Does Mercedes only see their marketing impact in England because LH is British? Nah I’m pretty sure that the extra 20 or 25 mill that they have tacked on to Max’s existing pay is a great investment for them now that he is World Champion with the #1 on their car.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
3rd March 2022, 6:42
@robbie Redbull sponsor hundreds of events in dozens of countries around the world on a weekly basis. So attributing a sales increase of that magnitude worldwide to max Verstappen is just a little far fetched :)).
That’s why I suggested the Netherlands as it is home to his most loyal and numerous fan base, It’s not rocket science mate :)
MacLeod (@macleod)
3rd March 2022, 8:31
While this is true Dietrich Mateschitz runs the normal operations of Red Bull so his word is law there.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
3rd March 2022, 9:41
@robbie
Actually, I think *1 would be the more appropriate :))
JohnH (@johnrkh)
3rd March 2022, 9:56
@macleod On day to day operations yes he is the CEO, but on big decisions like near doubling a driver salary. on that scale, I would say some consultation would be the norm.
I don’t have an issue with Verstappens pay packet and it’s always wise to treat any comment from Marko or Horner for that matter with a measure of scepticism. Some of the comments that come out of the RB camp are comical and the fact that some fans go to great lengths to defend them is hilarious.
MacLeod (@macleod)
3rd March 2022, 13:22
@johnrkh Mr. Dietrich can decide easy on those small numbers. Marko is just a advisor on drivers and has nothing todo on the budget spending of Red Bull so i find it always funny when he says something (Marko) and it’s in the Media. If Dietrich Mateschitz says something in the Media you should take that serious.
Robbie (@robbie)
3rd March 2022, 16:56
@johnrkh “Redbull sponsor hundreds of events in dozens of countries around the world on a weekly basis.” Exactly, and now their incredible marketing team will be attaching F1/Max/WDC/#1 to all of that. I’m not attributing all of that to Max, but rather to RBR as a whole globally and what they will be able to now do with their marketing now that Max is WDC and there is the #1 on the car. It’s not rocket science, mate:)
JohnH (@johnrkh)
3rd March 2022, 19:37
@macleod
No that’s incorrect.
MacLeod (@macleod)
4th March 2022, 7:49
@johnrkh Are you sure i hear HIM (Mr. Dietrich) saying during a interview that Marko and Horner together with him discus on Red Bull (RCT) but that he had the last word on the big spendings for the team.
And he said that he had only 49% and the family in Thailand had the (49%+2% )rest
He was running Red Bull as he saw fit as they know he would make Red Bull big and they reap the rewards.
Maybe when i see this i am mistaken to believe he can spend 300 Milion this way. I don’t have any Red Bull stock and i am not very interested how that market works.
Jazz (@jazz)
3rd March 2022, 1:52
@robbie yikes, the RB propaganda department really did a number on you mate. Stockholm syndrome much?
JohnH (@johnrkh)
3rd March 2022, 19:35
@robbie
But you did:)
Robbie (@robbie)
4th March 2022, 15:17
@johnrkh They go hand in hand though right? Max is WDC so RB’s global marketing team will take that and run with it. Max didn’t win it on his own, it was a team effort, and now the company Red Bull will enhance their global marketing with what the F1 team has done.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
6th March 2022, 6:55
@robbie Well, I’d hope they’d at least send Masi a few cases of Redbull for his contribution.
Palindnilap (@palindnilap)
2nd March 2022, 15:45
The bad guy of F1 staying with the bad guys of F1, makes perfect sense to me !
MacLeod (@macleod)
2nd March 2022, 16:29
and get paid handsomely to have good guys you need a bad guy otherwise it get boring.
David
2nd March 2022, 19:49
Why is he the bad guy? Why is Max a bad guy and Senna is hailed as a hero?
iCarbs (@icarby)
2nd March 2022, 22:58
Max isn’t a bad guy, FIA is just a bad organisation.
Gill
3rd March 2022, 8:20
His father is the ultimate bad guy research how many times he has been arrested.
MacLeod (@macleod)
3rd March 2022, 8:32
Carefull otherwise he smacks you!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
3rd March 2022, 8:23
You have no idea how much joy I am getting from people still litigating the 2021 season and especially the season finale. The smell of boiled urine gives me endless laughter.
Jon
3rd March 2022, 8:23
Yes he is a good driver but I don’t think he is worth that insane amount of money. 👎
Noframingplease (@)
3rd March 2022, 9:27
@jon I agree, no sporter is worth that amount of money.
Wayne
3rd March 2022, 10:28
While the salary is huge. 1. They are driving at incredibly dangerous speeds. 2. He is a world champion now( even though i dont agree with the way he won it). 3. He will be/ is a selling point for Redbull and F1. Plus i think redbull are payi g the high figure only to try their best to project their driver is atleast on the same level of Lewis. Its all mind games. Even the money part.