Formula 1 fans have joked that 'silly season' is over after four-time champion Max Verstappen signed a contract extension with Red Bull.
Verstappen had been linked to Mercedes and McLaren for some time amid a string of personnel changes and performance difficulties at Red Bull. But the four-time champion put an end to speculation regarding his future by signing a two-year contract extension with Red Bull, keeping him with the Milton Keynes outfit until the end of 2030.
The announcement came ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix and shortly after confirmation that both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz had extended their contracts with Williams.
"There's been a disturbing lack of silliness so far this silly season," one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: "Pack it up boys. And here ends our thirst for a fun silly season. The Williams announcements are about the most interesting thing so far sadly. See ya in 2027!"
"The man saw there was no way into Williams anymore and rushed to sign an extension," another joked.
Others were surprised by the length of the contract.
"This Max announcement is pretty interesting, and the contract length is mildly shocking tbh. There will always be exit clauses, and Max can just outright retire, but securing four more years still indicates he is here in F1 for the foreseeable future," someone else posted.
"Honestly, I can’t even picture Max, Lando and Leclerc in another team at this point! They’ve been with their teams for so long and seem so committed to them," another comment read, referring to Lando Norris at McLaren and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
Further reactions included: "Either he believes that they will come up with something, or he’s just loyal to them until the end," and "RIP silly season."
Verstappen currently sits sixth in the drivers' standings with 109 points, 110 points behind current championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
