Max Verstappen responds when asked about plans after £40m-a-year Red Bull contract ends

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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen has responded to a question about his plans for the future when his contract expires at the end of 2028.

Max Verstappen is one of just a handful of Formula 1 drivers who has a deal that runs past the end of this season, with Charles Leclerc the player racer extending his current deal.

In an interview with The Times, Verstappen has been speaking about his long-term plans.

Getting to Formula 1 is incredibly difficult for even the fastest drivers.

To retain a place on the grid for more than a couple of seasons should be considered a huge achievement.

It highlights just how important Red Bull believe Verstappen is to their sustained success that his current deal runs for another five seasons.

The Dutchman could theoretically break Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s world championship record by the time that deal ends.

Verstappen has spoken about other series he would like to race in after Formula 1 while ruling out one potential career change.

At the moment, he doesn’t seem married to the idea of staying in the sport for the same length of time as the likes of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen will have plenty of options in the future once his current contract expires.

That’s not to say that he might want to stay in F1 when that time rolls around, but right now, he’s very much concentrating on the upcoming.

Verstappen responds to question over his future when contract expires

The report from The Times suggests he’s currently being paid £40m-a-year alongside performance-related bonuses.

When asked what happens after his current deal ends, Verstappen said: “I’m not in a rush to decide. These kinds of things might change in the coming years.”

Verstappen doesn’t need to think too far into the future given the security provided by his current contract.

Whatever he turns his hand to he’s likely to succeed in such is his natural pace.

Whether he’s motivated by the idea of trumping Hamilton and Schumacher’s record is one thing.

If Red Bull continue their dominance after the 2026 rule change, what’s to stop him from securing his reputation as one of F1’s greatest-ever drivers?