Red Bull make 'brutally honest' pledge with Max Verstappen after new F1 contract

Max Verstappen has ended speculation about his F1 future by signing a two-year contract extension with Red Bull, keeping him with the team through 2030. Team principal Laurent Mekies says the partnership will remain "extremely brutally honest."

Why it matters:

The August 20 announcement shuts down links to Mercedes and, more recently, McLaren. It also gives Red Bull a stable foundation as it tries to recover from a difficult 2026 season. If Verstappen stays until 2030, he will become the longest-serving driver at one team in F1 history at 15 seasons.

The details:

• Verstappen's previous deal ran through 2028; the new extension adds two more years.
• All 71 of his wins and four world titles have come with Red Bull.
• The 2026 campaign has been tough: four podiums in the opening 12 rounds, with a best of second in Austria and Hungary.
• Mekies called the extension "teamwork" involving 2,000 people working to convince Verstappen that Red Bull can produce the best package.
• He insisted the team's approach won't change: "We are still going to complain when the car is not fast enough. We are still going to express frustrations when we feel we could have extracted more, or when we feel we are not progressing fast enough."

What's next:

With Verstappen locked in, Red Bull's focus turns to delivering a car capable of regular wins and podiums. The "brutally honest" culture will remain central to that push — and to proving the team can match its driver's ambition.