F1: Max Verstappen Signs 5 Year Deal With Red Bull Till The End 2028

While this was always on the cards and in the last week, there have been many rumours about the completion of a deal between Verstappen and Red Bull, it is now official. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen will be at Red Bull Racing till the end of 2028. He is already contracted till the end of the 2023 season, but now there is a new 5-year deal in place. 

Many have reported this deal to be worth $55 million per year for the Dutchman which brings him on par with Lewis Hamilton as the highest-paid driver in F1. 

"I love this team and last year was simply incredible. Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it's about keeping the number one on the car long-term," said the Dutchman who has been part of the Red Bull F1 setup since 2015. 

Verstappen was adopted as a young driver by the Red Bull driver academy and then fast-tracked into F1 as a prodigy with its B-team then known as Toro Rosso. He joined the Red Bull F1 in 2016 after Daniil Kvyat was demoted and in his first race in Spain he won which makes him the youngest F1 Grand Prix driver of all time.

Verstappen has now won 20 races out which 10 came last year

"To have Max signed with Red Bull through to the end of '28 is a real statement of intent. Our immediate focus is on retaining Max's world championship title, but this deal also shows he is part of the team's long-term planning. With the Red Bull Powertrains division working towards the new engine regulations for 2026 we wanted to make sure we had the best driver on the grid secured for that car," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner who himself has renewed his contract to stay with the team till the end of the 2025 season. 

Verstappen is considered to be the best driver on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton. He was always going to be hot property considering Hamilton is entering the last phase of his career at the age of 37 while the Dutchman is just 24 years old, and still wouldn't have hit his 30s by the time his new contract ends with Red Bull. 

This would also mean that Verstappen becomes the longest-running driver with Red Bull. He's already had a longer stint than Vettel and Coulthard, but this contract would mean he would be at Red Bull for longer than even Mark Webber who was at the team for eight years.