IMAGO / Marco Canoniero
World Championship title? Check. Lucrative, multi-year contract at just 24 years old? Also, check.
Max Verstappen inked a new five-year deal that will keep him with Red Bull through 2028, taking the star through his thirties. The extension is worth over $55 million per year, which is what it's believed that Mer.cedes star Lewis Hamilton makes, per ESPN
This new deal is in addition to the original contract that’s through 2023.
“To have Max signed with Oracle Red Bull Racing through to the end of 2028 is a real statement of intent. Our immediate focus is on retaining Max’s World Championship title, but this deal also shows he is a part of the Team’s long-term planning,” Oracle Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner said in the announcement. “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.”
Verstappen began racing in F1 with Red Bull in 2016, and it led to the young star beating Hamilton in a last-lap mad dash in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Following the controversial duel, he said he wanted to stay with Red Bull for life.
He now holds the longest contract on the current F1 grid, edging past Lando Norris who signed to stay with McLaren through 2025. Charles Leclerc previously signed a deal in 2019 to remain with Ferrari until the end of 2024.
Verstappen will look to begin his title defense at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.
