After his last contract extension with Red Bull, Max Verstappen has become the highest-paid F1 driver on the grid. The Dutchman makes over $55,000,000 a year only from the contract he has with the team. However, according to a report by Business F1, Verstappen can see his salary increase multiple-fold in 14 months and become the first-ever driver to take home a staggering $100,000,000 income per season!
The Dutchman reigned supreme right from the 2021 F1 season when he claimed his first-ever F1 world championship. However, the following seasons saw the beast in him come out as the 26-year-old took 15 wins in 2022 and 13 wins already this season.
Therefore, with the unparalleled record Verstappen has, he is surely the most sought-after driver on the grid right now. Nevertheless, his current contract runs till 2028, but it will not be an issue given how the Dutchman made his place in the sport now.
How can Verstappen claim as much as $100 million?
Even though Verstappen has been doing his best on track, the man behind his surreal reported contract is none other than Raymond Vermeulen, who is the Red Bull driver’s manager.
Business F1, on this, reported, “An insider predicted that negotiations between Raymond Vermeulen, Verstappen’s manager, and Honer and Marko could be behind as early as December 2024 for a new contract and that it will almost certainly make him the first $100 million a year [driver].”
However, some issues could see the two-time world champion leave out before he gets to the point of having $100 million a year. It could only be him and nobody else, as his motivation to continue for long is under doubt.
Would Verstappen retire before he makes $100 million a year?
According to Mark Hughes, the man who wrote Verstappen’s biography revealed that the Dutchman might not continue beyond the 2028 F1 season to sign another contract extension.
He stated that continuing beyond 2028 would be too long for Max Verstappen. Even the need for the record-breaking eighth world championship would not be enough for the 26-year-old to stay in the sport.
Therefore, it is only he who can say no to such a huge amount of money per season only to live his days elsewhere. Maybe sit back and relax in his simulator or take endurance racing for a change of taste.
