Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has explained why he chose to remain with Red Bull despite holding discussions with Mercedes in 2025 and McLaren in 2026. Rather than moving to what could have been a faster car, Max Verstappen says he wants to help Red Bull return to the top and embrace the challenge of rebuilding the team.
“The conversations I had with Mercedes and McLaren were serious. They were all very respectful conversations and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I felt that staying at Red Bull was the right choice for me,” Max Verstappen told the BBC. The Dutch driver had been in contact with Mercedes in 2025 and McLaren in 2026 before ultimately extending his Red Bull agreement, with his new contract running until 2030.
Max Verstappen wants to rebuild Red Bull
Red Bull’s competitive position has slipped compared with the seasons in which Max Verstappen and the team dominated Formula 1, but that downturn has not persuaded him to search for an easier route back to winning.
“It’s too easy to jump into the fastest car,” Max Verstappen added. “I’m not like that. You cannot be the captain of the ship and then abandon it at the first sign of difficulty. There has been a slight decline compared with the years when we dominated, but I like the challenge of trying to rebuild everything from scratch.”
That challenge has become particularly relevant as Red Bull works to understand the areas in which its current package is falling short. Max Verstappen has already faced difficulties extracting everything from the car, with the RB22 exposing weaknesses that Red Bull is trying to address as the team looks towards a stronger future.
Patience remains central to Max Verstappen’s Red Bull approach
Max Verstappen also stressed that this is not the first time he has chosen patience over an immediate move elsewhere. Earlier in his Formula 1 career, he could also have left Red Bull in pursuit of a potentially quicker route to success, but remaining with the team ultimately brought multiple world championships.
“Even at the beginning of my career I could have left Red Bull and gone elsewhere to try to win, but ultimately, if you have a little patience, you end up winning,” Max Verstappen said. “That is my approach now as well.”
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